Rwanda
Prime Minister's Order determining Modalities in which Government Institutions Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence
Prime Ministers Order 1 of 2012
- Published in Official Gazette 3 on 16 January 2012
- Assented to on 11 January 2012
- Commenced on 16 January 2012
- [This is the version of this document from 16 January 2012.]
Chapter One
General provisions
Article One – Purpose of this Order
This Order determines the modalities in which government institutions prevent gender-based violence and for receiving, relieving, defending, medicating and assisting the victim for the purpose of rehabilitating his/her health.Article 2 – Definitions
In this Order, the following terms shall have the following meaning:Gender desk: a unit in charge of gender equality;One stop center: A place that receives victims of gender-based violence, offers them emergency medical care, psycho-social relief and legal assistance to start investigations, and helps gathering evidence of gender-based violence.Chapter II
Responsibilities of different Government Institutions in preventing and fighting gender based violence
Article 3 – General responsibilities of Government Institutions in preventing and fighting gender based violence
All Government institutions shall put in place programs aimed at preventing and fighting against gender-based violence as well as intervening and attending to its victims.Government institutions shall continue to reinforce the anti gender-based violence committees at all levels with the aim of eliminating gender-based violence.Article 4 – Special responsibilities of Government institutions in preventing and fighting gender based violence
Government Institutions, in particular Ministries, Public institutions, National Commissions, National Counsels, that may have any connection with the issue of gender based violence, each organ concerned or combined, when necessary, shall:1°ensure that the attached organs respect government plans of preventing and fighting gender based violence;2°quickly intervene and assist the victims of gender based violence;3°devise means for the local government authorities to sensitize the victims of gender based violence to immediately report to the nearest health facility in order to get required assistance;4°quickly put in place a “One stop center” mechanism in all public and semi-public health facilities and build their capacity;5°pay particular attention to the issue of gender based violence;6°put in place a special poverty reduction program for the destitute in order to prevent them from being the target of gender-based violence;7°put in place a mechanism of prevention, protection and fighting against gender based violence including private and civil society institutions;8°put in place a mechanism of information sharing about gender based violence;9°follow up all activities aimed at preventing and fighting against gender based violence in the whole country and to advise on its eradication;10°remind everybody to avoid gender-based violence related words and actions with help of the national media;11°announce publicly in the final judgment the names of those found guilty of gender based violence;12°sensitize private media to participate in denouncing gender based violence;13°public awareness of laws punishing gender based violence;14°sensitize women particularly in preventing gender based violence and disseminate information whenever it occurs;15°integrate at all levels in the education curricula a program related to human rights, gender and gender based violence;16°train the youth to avoid such recreational activities, behaviour and other indecent acts that may lead to gender based violence;17°investigate the nature and the effects of recreational activities that may contradict with good practices or public security and may lead to gender based violence;18°put in place measures to prevent gender based violence that may target children and persons with disabilities;19°sensitize parents to not allow their children to engage in labour or other acts that can lead to gender based violence;20°render justice to the victims of gender based violence;21°put in place a sustainable program to sensitize employers and employees to avoid acts that can lead to gender based violence in the public institution;22°speed up the execution of decisions from courts and other authorities in order to prevent and fight against gender based violence.Article 5 – Complaints on the crime of gender based violence
When a case is lodged on gender based violence, the judicial police shall request the competent authority to expeditiously give the victim the support he/she needs.Investigation on gender based violence cases shall be speeded up and cases be submitted to the investigation authority within the period provided for by the law.The National Prosecution Authority must give priority to gender-based violence related cases, in order to preserve elements of evidence.Article 6 – Report of the Minister of Internal Security
The Ministry in charge of internal security shall submit to the Office of the Prime Minister a quarterly report on the situation of gender-based violence complaints in the country.Article 7 – “Gender desk”
The Rwanda National Police and the Rwanda Defence Forces particularly shall decentralize and reinforce gender desks with the purpose of preventing and fighting gender-based violence.Article 8 – Education programmes aimed at fighting against gender-based violence
Security organs in particular and Rwandan citizens in general shall be regularly trained on the program aimed at preventing gender-based violence put in place by the Ministry in charge of gender in collaboration with the Ministries supervising those organs.Article 9 – Reports submitted by local authorities
Local government authorities shall submit a quarterly report on activities aimed at preventing and fighting against gender-based violence to their higher authorities. The reports are collected at Provincial level or at City of Kigali level and shall be submitted to the Ministry in charge of Local Government.Article 10 – Examining and following-up a victim of gender-based violence
Government institutions responsible for health shall pay particular attention to the issue of gender-based violence through following up expeditiously and carefully handling cases of victims of gender-based violence including preventing pregnancies and disease contamination therefrom.Article 11 – Medical report
Any health facility that receives a victim or a suspected perpetrator of gender based-violence shall carry out a medical examination free of charge and make a report thereof according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health. The report shall be made available to judicial authorities upon written request.Article 12 – Education and culture
Parents, teachers, families and the entire population, in accordance with modalities provided by the local authorities in charge of education, integrity and promotion of Rwandan culture values, shall put more emphasis on the education of the child so that he/she grows up with good morals not leading to gender based violence.Article 13 – Responsibilities of Government Institution having information in its attributions
Any information aiming at preventing, protecting and fighting against gender based violence shall be published through radio, television and newspapers in all the official languages.Article 14 – Gender based violence at workplace
The labour inspector, at every level, including local and central levels, shall expeditiously and carefully handle problems between employees and employers, to establish whether or not these problems are related to gender-based violence.The labour inspector shall, after establishing that there is a gender-based violence case, immediately inform the nearest judicial authority for the suspect to be prosecuted.Chapter III
Miscellaneous and final provisions
Article 15 – Authorities responsible for the implementation of this Order
The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, the Minister of Local Governance, the Minister of Internal Security, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Public Service and Labour and the Minister of Justice/Attorney General are entrusted with the implementation of this Order.Article 16 – Repealing provision
All prior provisions contrary to this Order are hereby repealed.Article 17 – Commencement
This Order shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda.History of this document
16 January 2012 this version
Commenced
11 January 2012
Assented to