“Gender is Society”: Inclusive Lawmaking in Rwanda’s Parliament
This article was originally published in Critical Half.
While the development community has shifted toward a gender and development (GAD) paradigm that emphasizes relations between women and men, rather than focusing on women alone, GAD programs often fall short of truly including men. However, a 2006 legislative campaign by Rwandan female parliamentarians, in which they engaged their male colleagues to fight gender-based violence (GBV), demonstrates how such inclusion might be conducted successfully. Though challenges remain in involving men in addressing gender disparities, the recent development and drafting of anti-GBV legislation in Rwanda provides a noteworthy model for engaging men on traditionally women’s issues.
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