This represents Rwanda’s roadmap to becoming a leading ICT hub in Africa. It envisages this will be backed by a significant amount of investment in Research and Development, as well as skilled workforce. It works towards addressing the following pre-requisites; educated and skilled workforce, innovative culture, advanced technological capabilities, enviable lifestyle, competitive business environment, and a stable and proactive government.

The vision 2020, and the Smart Rwanda masterplan aspired to turn Rwanda into a knowledge based economy from an agrarian one. As the country transitions into its visions for 2035 and 2050, the ICT sector will be crucial to achieving the set goals and targets. The sector strategic plan for the ICT is backed by seven pillars; Smart Cities, Fintech, Smart-Agriculture, Trade& Industry, Health, Education, Government, Women and Youth Empowerment in ICT. It seeks to maximize the true potential of the ICT sector, as a true enabler of economic development.

The strategy defines digital content as “all non-diminishable and re-usable applications curated or created using digital technologies and shared, accessed, consumed, used, or preserved using the same technologies”. The strategy prioritises the sectors of agriculture, health, education, industry, women, and youth in its production, dissemination, and consumption of local digital content.

A tabular maturity level analysis of Rwanda’s ICT capability

The gender strategy in agriculture is in line with Rwanda’s Constitution of 2003, the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), the National Gender Policy, and the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture in Rwanda Phase II (PSTA-II). These provide the need for equality between men and women and boys and girls in all spheres of socio-economic development. The strategy will ensure the integration of gender issues in the implementation of the PSTA II programs. It will also serve as a guide for the ministry of agriculture and animal resources, on the need to be gender sensitive in their discharge and implementation of programs and interventions.

The strategic plan on the environment sub-sector is the 5 year push to highlight the necessary key priorities and resources crucial to achieving the objectives and targets for the environment contained in the vision 2020 and the economic development and poverty reduction strategy (EDPRS). It serves to institutionalise the strategy of the Environment and Natural Resources (ENRSSP). Its objectives are; pollution control and management, effective service delivery and environmental governance, integration of environmental principles in the core national policies, protection from effects of climate change, and to foster productive functioning of ecosystems.

“The general objective of the National youth policy is to promote the youth economic, social, cultural, intellectual and moral welfare. This is to create conditions that are favourable for their integration in all sectors of the society, as they become stakeholders of sustainable development”.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines social security as “a set of public measures that a society provides for its members to protect them against economic and social distress that would be caused by the absence or substantial reduction of income from work as a result of various contingencies like sickness, maternity, employment injury, unemployment, invalidity, old age, death and health care”. The policy assess the current situation of social security in Rwanda, with a view to proposing interventions at ameliorating the conditions of Rwandans arising from risks and uncertainties.

The policy rightly points out that the future development of a child and the quality of life heavily depends on good parenting, especially during the first months of life. The early chidhood development policy thus seeks to provide an holistic framework to foster integrated development of young children. The multi-sectoral approach pushes for healthy, well-nourished and safe Rwandan children capable of fulfilling their potentials.

The plan provides a guidance for all actions channeled towards ameliorating the conditions of street children. It does not push for long term institutional care, as it seeks to promptly protect and reintegrate children into their families and/or communities, as well as prevent children ending up on streets. This relates to the rights of the child, set forth in the 1989 International Convention ratified by Rwanda.

The adverse effects arising from the 1994 genocide, chronic poverty, and the threat of HIV threatens the fundamental right that ought to be enjoyed by various orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda. The 4 year strategic plan works to integrate issues relating to orphans and vulnerable children into all national policies and implementation frameworks, to ensure children’s rights are realised today and in the future.

The 1994 genocidal activities against the tutsis has destroyed the social fabrics of the Rwandan people, leaving children without the necessary family love and affection they need. Widows and orphans have also been forced to take on the role of household heads, usually played by parents and men. The government of Rwanda recognises the importance of family as a bedrock of sustainable development. The 4year strategic plan aims to continue promoting family as the basis of Rwanda society.

The program recognises the giant strides the government of Rwanda has attained in poverty reduction, building strong institutions, macroeconomic development, and social cohesion. It however points out the challenges regarding financial inclusion in the country, especially among youths and women. The program subsequently sets out to address this challenge by capacity building and training, in the line of financial literacy, and provision of financial access and enhancement opportunities.

Transformation of the country from an agriculture based to a knowledge based, driven by a sound Rwandan population is the vision of the government. Achievement of this is therefore based on the intensive development of the citizen, especially through early childhood development. The plan recognises that the first 3 years are the most important in the life of a child; and seeks to propose interventions to aid children becoming the best version of themselves.

The government of Rwanda has placed premium, and shown commitment towards gender equality and building an inclusive society. It has ensured the integration and mainstreaming of gender issues into all relevant national policies, guidelines, strategies, and interventions. However, the Rwandan culture limits the extent to which females mingle in the society, thus limiting their access to mentorship opportunities to improve their chances in life. The national strategy therefore seeks to bridge this gap by providing clear pathway for the conduct of mentorship programs for young women and girls.

The Rwanda national action plan builds on the implementation experiences of the previous action plan of 2009-2012. It is aligned with other national, regional, and international instruments, laws, and ratifications geared towards gender equality and women empowerment. Meaningful contribution of women in governance and all institutions is the objective of this plan.

The genocidal activities of 1994 had its toll on the citizens, especially women and girls. Gender based violence threatens rights to education, health, wellbeing, legal, as well as economic rights. This strategic plan highlights the federal government’s resolve to addressing gender equality issues and general human rights, as its affect the socioeconomic development of the country.

This national plan for gender and family promotion leverages on the experience garnered from the implementation of the first and second phases of the economic development and poverty reduction strategy (EDPRS). As the country transitions towards its new vision 2050, for attaining high-income status, the 6year strategic plan, being cross-cutting and multisectoral, seeks to facilitate attainment of the national goals backed by a stable and harmonious family structure and gender neutral and inclusive society. It pushes to achieve, among others; strengthened families, participation of women in governance, financial performance for women and girls, and effective management of child abuse and gender based violence.

Gender based violence in Rwanda is linked to a number of factors, including; cultural beliefs, traditions, and the genocidal activities of 1994. The policy addresses the misconception around the concept of gender applying to women alone, the issues of awareness creation, reporting system, as well as coordination and harmonisation efforts. The policy seeks to maximise the capacity to prevent and respond to gender based violence, as a tool to socioeconomic development and promotion of human rights.

This represents the national policy for addressing issues related to orphans and other vulnerable children. It makes provisions for the trampling of the human rights of these group of children. It generally aims to ensure children grow up in environment’s that helps them blossom into their best forms.