The Head of State made these remarks at the 11th Annual Asia Summit in Singapore during a fireside chat moderated by Richard Ditizio, CEO of the Milken Institute, a U.S.-based organization.
The discussion focused on Rwanda's journey of socio-economic transformation.
Kagame is currently in Singapore, where his visit is expected to conclude on September 23, 2024.
During the conversation, Kagame shared the homegrown solutions that have contributed to Rwanda's development across various sectors.
"Governance is an issue of rights and accountability. You avoid things you know will undermine your progress. In governance, we fight corruption because we realized a lot of resources that could go into health, food security, and educationâ€"end up unfairly in the hands of a few," said Kagame.
He added, "We have created an environment where people involved in corruption understand it's not a good thing, especially when you are caught."
With 74 percent of Rwanda's population aged 35 years or younger, Kagame highlighted that the country's efforts in promoting accountability and good governance are vital for guiding this large segment of the population towards a prosperous future.
"We ensure that as they grow up and take on responsibilities, they come from a background of understanding accountability and governance, and the benefits that come with it," he noted.
'We have made sure that as they grow up and take these responsibilities, they come from this background and understand issues of accountability, governance and their benefits,' he noted.
Gender equality and women's empowerment in decision-making roles are also among Rwanda's most celebrated achievements over the past 30 years.
In the Chamber of Deputies, for instance, women make up 63.8% of the representatives.
When asked why Rwanda prioritized this policy, Kagame explained that it was essential to break away from the country's tragic past and gender divide.
"We've been realistic from the beginning. When we look at our people, we consider everyone, irrespective of genderâ€"not just in terms of numbers but also in terms of rights.
'We have had enough of the divide in our history. So, we learned our lessons to make sure that we increasingly bring our people together irrespective of their background and even gender. That is where it stems from,' he stated.
Kagame also noted that women in Rwanda now have access to education on par with their male counterparts, a change that has paid off for the country's growth.
Highlighting that women make up 52 percent of Rwanda's population, Kagame remarked, "I don't know how intelligent anyone would be to exclude over 50 percent of your population. It doesn't take much logic to understand that you simply cannot do that."
In a remarkable achievement over the past 15 years, Rwanda has increased household access to electricity from 6% in 2009 to 75% as of March 2024.
Furthermore, Rwanda is among the top African countries with high health insurance coverage for its population, making significant strides in healthcare accessibility.
Kagame attributed these successes to the accountability of Rwandans and the collective choice to make good decisions for the future.
The Asia Summit, which Kagame is attending, began on Wednesday, September 18, and will conclude on Friday, September 22.
Théophile Niyitegeka
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/we-have-been-realistic-from-the-beginning-kagame-on-gender-parity
