CEDAW/C/SR.37 English Page 7 (Ms. Baziyaka, Rwan:ia) ministries or educational establishments. Two women held the position of first counselor in the Rwandese diplomatic service, and another two were members of the judiciary, one of them being Vice-President of the Appeals Court and the other a counselor in a judicial body of equal irrportance. Their participation would be expanded with the increase in the number of women who had received professional training in the various fields. 22. Rwanda was an agricultural country: 92.9 per cent of the population worked in agriculture. Since indepen:ierx::e, the social centres offering training services for rural women had been extended to the entire national territory. Those centres prepared women to assume their civic responsibilities as mothers and housewives and provided information on hygiene and nutrition. A literacy programme had also been combined with the social centres, with a view to training women to participate more effectively in national development. The orientation of social-action programmes had been changed to integrate men into the programmes. Rural men and women had received instruction on agriculture and family planning. '.rhat training had given rise to the creation of co-operative groups of a handicraft, agricultural or multifunctional nature. Also operating in the country were various feminine groups whose contributions in the economic field were very important to the promotion and advancement of women. There had been a gradual creation of c~mnunal development and permanent training centres designed to promote the mobilization and organization of the entire rural population. The purpose was to create a structure in which responsibility was given to local leaders and to households in order that they might join forces to promote the country's development. 23. Other tangible steps in behalf of Rwandese women had also been taken. National consciousness-raising bodies for women, such as the URAMA organization, were now being created. January 1981 had seen the establishment of the National Population Office, which was concerned inter alia with studying the process of integration of family planning services into basic health services. There could be no doubt al:out the beneficial effects of family planning programmes on the health of mothers, who now suffered from exhaustion as the result of frequent pregnancies which increased their vulnerability to diseases of all kinds. Since the International Women's Year, at least one national seminar for women leaders had been held every year, with a view to making those leaders aware of their obligation to place their knowledge at the service of women who had not had any opportunity to receive instruction. 24. Her Cbvernment had demonstrated its deterrninat ion to create favourable conditions to enable Rwandese women to enjoy human rights and fundamental freeda1s on a basis of equality with men. The Government was aware that there was still a long way to go, but its efforts were being harrpered by a lack of resources. For that reason, the authorities had emphasized structures for the mobilization, organization and training of the population, with a view to channeling all efforts towards the development of every sector of the population in Rwanda. 25. Ms. BERNARD cormnended the representative of Rwarda on her presentation, which had supplemented the report submitted by her country. However, she would like some clarification on certain subjects. For example, she wished to know \1hether women could have access to courts if they were victims of discrimination, whether there I .. .

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