Establish gender desks / focal points / units within security institutions

Promising practice: Rwanda National Police and Defence Force Gender Desks

In 2005, a Gender Desk was established at the Rwanda National Police funded under the Enhancing Protection from Gender Based Violence project implemented by UNIFEM with funding from UNDP. The project has been ongoing since with support from UNIFEM (now UN Women) and the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden. The overall goal of the initiative is to enhance the Rwandan National Police’s response to gender-based violence (GBV), in line with the country’s commitments to relevant international and regional agreements such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the Great Lakes Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence against Women and Children, among others.

The objectives of the Desk are to:

• increase police logistics for rapid response to reports of gender-based violence;

• increase police capacity in investigating gender-based violence cases;

• increase police capacity in counseling survivors;

• develop strategies and guidelines on the prevention of and response to GBV;

• increase public awareness on GBV and the role of the Police Gender Desk;

• assist survivors in accessing appropriate health, legal and psycho-social support services; and

• collect data and information on gender-based violence in Rwanda.

The infrastructure and human resource capacities of the Desk include an operational office at the National Police Headquarters in Kigali with six staff, designated Gender-Based Violence Focal Points at all province and district police stations, motorcycles and vehicles to ensure rapid responses to reports of GBV cases, in particular in rural areas, modern interview and surveillance rooms and a toll-free hotline (3512) to facilitate reporting of incidents.

In an innovative follow-up to the Police Gender Desk, the Rwanda Defense Force established a Gender Desk to complement and support more effective military responses to cases of violence against women. Since the desk became fully operational in 2008, the Defense Force Gender Desk officers have conducted training on gender equality concepts, women’s human rights, and gender-based violence for close to 5,000 defense force members (military officers, cadets at the military academy, ex-combatants and local defense forces) and civilians, in three out of Rwanda’s five provinces. It has also trained gender focal points at the district level and supported the creation of anti-gender based violence clubs. By engaging the private sector in its campaign, it has partnered with the leading cellular phone company to provide a free hotline (3945) to report cases of military-related violence against women and girls.

Reports of violence to the Defense Force have increased since the Gender Desk was established. Factors contributing to the initiative’s success include:

• the military is well-placed to locate and respond to issues of violence against women and girls, being deployed at local levels and on patrol 24 hours a day;

• the military may be present at times and in locations where police are not; and

• training of officers preparing for peace missions, as part of efforts to increase the number of women deployed and enhance their ability to combat gender-based violence has influenced recruitment and deployment of female police to peacekeeping missions such as Darfur.

Results (as of 2009) include:

• Training of 250 police officers from community policing committees from all five police regions on Standard Operating Procedures of prevention of and response to GBV

• Sensitization of 80 females from the Rwanda National Police Women’s Network (e.g. police officers, Rwanda Defense Force Gender desk and youth representatives from schools) from 5 regions on use of the GBV Standard Operating Procedures

• Training of 166 GBV Desk police officers on gender-based violence from a human rights and security perspective as well as on investigation

• Training of 45 police officers in psycho-social counseling

• Improved operational capacities (acquiring 15 motorcycles) to ensure rapid response to cases, particularly in rural areas

• Strengthened collaboration with the Rwanda Defense Forces, including a training of 70 military officers in Kigali City

• Enhanced partnerships with key stakeholders such as local governments, Rwanda Defense Forces, medical, psychosocial and legal service providers and women’s rights advocates.

• Enhanced sensitization and awareness among communities, local governments (e.g. in Gasabo District and Kigali City), schools (400 teachers and students trained), women cooperatives (300 members trained in Musanze und Gicumbi districts), religious leaders and faith-based organizations

• Formation of a regional network on sports for social change targeting prevention and response

• Development and dissemination of sensitization materials (posters, brochures, magazines, stickers, calendars) for communities

• Enhanced monitoring, collection and analysis of data across the country

• Increased reports and effective interventions in gender-based violence

• Increased access to medical, psychosocial and legal services for survivors

• Influenced establishment of a network of Rwandan female police in Rwanda for enhanced response to GBV and networking

Excerpt from Case Study: UNIFEM .2009. Establishment of Rwanda National Police Gender Desk (2005-present). UNIFEM. Kigali.