The First Lady of Rwanda, H.E Mrs Jeannette Kagame joined Pan-African Parliament Members to call for women’s role in fighting against corruption on the continent.
This is in line with the theme of the 11th Pan-African Parliament Conference on Women’s Rights under the theme: “Pan-African Parliament fights against corruption” being hosted in Kigali, Rwanda.
The two-day conference scheduled to conclude on November 2, is being held alongside the 1st Ordinary Session of the 5th Parliament currently under way in the capital Kigali.
Delivering her keynote address at the conference, H.E Mrs. Kagame emphasised that women in leadership play a critical and vital role in curbing corruption and securing the future of African economies by ensuring accountable governance and service delivery.
“Several studies suggest that women are less corrupt and that companies with a higher number of women in decision-making perform better in terms of resource management, and maintaining zero-tolerance level for corruption,” H.E Mrs Kagame underscored.
She added that; “Therefore, the priority must be to strengthen legal and institutional frameworks and mechanisms that reinforce accountability and ensure that principles of equity and equality are consistently addressed in all areas of our public and private spheres.”
Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, spoke of women’s vulnerability to specific types of corruption due to their social, political and economic roles adding that there was need for establishment of prudent mechanisms that involve women in uprooting corruption from African societies.
“This conference seeks to draw the attention of women legislators to the existing gaps between policy frameworks, gender policies, anti-corruption strategies and actions,” said Hon. DANG.
Hon. Jamila Ksiksi Debbech, Chairperson of the PAP Women’s Caucus, welcomed the participation of the First Lady of Rwanda, who was recently awarded the African Women of Excellence Awards (AWEA) for her outstanding work on empowering women and her overall contribution to Africa’s development.
“She is a proven champion for women empowerment and the emancipation of Africa. Her contribution will be significant in advancing women’s agenda at this year’s conference; particularly in consolidation of gains and achievements from women.”
The Pan-African Parliament has been holding its Conference on Women’s Rights since 2008.
The event has become an efficient platform to promote gender-balance, review and debate women’s issues in Africa and ensure efficient monitoring of gender policies on the continent.
In line with the African Union theme for 2018; “Winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable path to Africa’s transformation,” the annual Conference on Women’s Rights focuses on the role of parliamentarians in combating corruption through legislation enforcement; particularly those dealing with the effect of corruption on women and Development in Africa.