Women to rule Rwanda parliament

Women voters in Rwanda

Rwanda already holds the world record for highest proportion of female MPs

Rwanda will be the first country where women will outnumber men in parliament, preliminary election results show.

Women have taken 44 out of 80 seats so far and the number could rise if three seats reserved for the disabled and youth representatives go to females.

Rwanda, whose post-genocide constitution ensures a 30% quota for female MPs, already held the record for the most women in parliament.

The ruling party coalition won 78% of seats in Monday's vote.

Indirect elections for women's quota seats took place on Tuesday and votes for two youth representatives and a disabled quota seat are taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.

It is the second parliamentary elections since the genocide of 1994 when some 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu militias in just 100 days.

80-SEAT PARLIAMENT
Elected seats: 53
* RPF: 42 seats, 78.76% of the vote
* Social Democratic Party: 7 seats, 13.12% of the vote
* Liberal Party: 4 seats, 7.5% of the vote
Quota seats: 27 (women 24, youth 2, disabled 1)
Women total: 44 seats, 55% of parliament
Preliminary results Rwanda National Electoral Commission

President Paul Kagame was instrumental in establishing the Tutsi-led 's Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) - the rebel force which took power and ended the genocide.

The BBC's Geoffrey Mutagoma in the capital, Kigali, says the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party have conceded defeat.

In the outgoing parliament, 48.8% of MPs were women - the world's highest rate. It is now set to be at least 55%.

Women who stood in seats reserved for female candidates were not allowed to represent a party.

"The problems of women are understood much better, much better by women themselves," voter Anne Kayitesi told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

"You see men, especially in our culture, men used to think that women are there to be in the house, cook food, look after the children... but the real problems of a family are known by a woman and when they do it, they help a country to get much better."

site : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7620816.stm

Rwandans flock to 'Hillywood' films

Rwandans flock to 'Hillywood' films by Abby d'Arcy Hughes, BBC News, Kigali

Few Rwandans have access to TV or films

Rwanda is a stunning country in all senses of the word. As is the idea of having a film festival here. And the name Hillywood reflects on both the beauty of Rwanda itself and on the aspirations of its young filmmakers.

It may be one of the poorest and one of the smallest countries in the world, but Rwanda has big ideas.

Hillywood is a film festival on a shoe-string. Out of next to nothing, a small group of Rwandan filmmakers toured seven provinces of Rwanda screening films every evening under the stars.

Rare treat

There is only one cinema in Rwanda and it is in the capital, Kigali. So the filmmakers hopped on a couple of buses and took the cinema to the people.

Life goes at a relatively slow pace in Rwanda. But when Hillywood rolled into town, people were running to get to the stadiums early.

It's a rare treat for people here in the countryside to see films on the big screen.

"Most Rwandans don't even have access to television or any medium of the mass media," says Eric Kabera, the festival's organiser.

This was the first time I saw a film in our local language, Kinyarwanda
Agnes Niyokwizerwa

More importantly these are homemade films. Rwanda has welcomed numerous foreign productions companies over the years. But Rwandan film culture itself has failed to take root.

But at Hillywood the films are made by Rwandan directors and producers, filmed in Rwanda and are in the local language, Kinyarwanda.

Topping the bill was the film, Hey, Mr DJ! It's about an arrogant, young DJ who finds out he is HIV positive. The film has charm and a twist of comedy. But most importantly the crowd love it.

Film-maker Gilbert Ndahayo says his movie has healed him

"It was very exciting," Agnes Niyokwizerwa told me. "This was the first time I saw a film in our local language, Kinyarwanda. This is really important for the people who don't speak another language.

In the attractive, crumbling lake-side town of Gisenyi the crowds simply refused to leave.

"We ran out of all the films to screen," says the Hillywood coordinator, Ayuubu Kasasa. "They insisted that until we leave they are not going to leave. We just couldn't offer them any more."

Afterwards, kids crowded round, eager to find out how they could get into Rwandan film or how to get some camera training. The world of film was suddenly within arm's reach.

Ask Rwandan kids what films they like and the names Rambo and Jackie Chan trip off the tongue.

Rwandan children are excited by their local film industry

It was international productions about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, like Hotel Rwanda, which really put Rwanda back on the map for the rest of the world.

That is what also inspired budding young Rwandan filmmakers to give film a go themselves.

A lot of the Rwandan filmmakers at the festival started out working with foreign productions. But when HBO's trolleys and cranes disappeared, so did the money. And filmmakers here now struggle to get their stories told.

Kennedy Mazimpaka is an actor and has worked on a couple of the big, foreign productions. He strongly believes that Rwanda is up to the challenge.

Right now we need anything that can develop Rwanda. So why not a film industry
Actor Kennedy Mazimpaka

"We're not going to keep on lagging behind because we had a genocide," he says.

"We need to go forward. Right now we need anything that can develop Rwanda. So why not a film industry?"

Rwandan filmmakers also have a lot more stories they want to tell. "Rwanda has suffered a lot. I have suffered a lot. I want to express it," says Gilbert Ndahayo.

His film, Behind This Convent, screened in the capital Kigali. It is set 12 years after genocide in the courtyard behind his parents' house. Both his parents and sister were murdered in there.

"The making of this film was a really hard thing to do," he said. "But I used it to try to heal myself."

AMATA Study

AMATA study: effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in breastfeeding mothers to prevent post-natal vertical transmission in Rwanda

by : Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg ; Lux-Development Project INT/107, Kigali, Rwanda ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda ; Treatment and Research on AIDS Centre, Kigali, Rwanda.

Amata: Allaitement Maternal sous Trithérapie Antirétrovirale, also “milk” in Kinyarwanda

Background: Vertical transmission of HIV-1 occurs pre-natal at birth, and post-natal via breast-feeding. Approximately 15% of children born to HIV-infected mothers acquire HIV as a result of breast-feeding. Alternatives to breast-feeding in HIV-infected women include use of formula. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) may also be combined with breast-feeding. Independent of the HIV infection risk, breast-feeding provides benefits to children’s health, lost to formula-fed children. The AMATA study explores the impact of breast-feeding plus maternal HAART vs. formula feeding in terms of vertical transmission and child morbidity, mortality, as well as its development.

Objectives: Vertical transmission through breastfeeding remains a major problem in developing countries. The study compares triple antiretroviral therapy (ART) given to breastfeeding (BF) mothers with formula feeding (FF) for prevention of post-natal mother-to-child transmission.

Methods: All HIV-1 infected women followed at 4 antenatal care sites in Kigali were offered to participate in the study. All received NNRTI-based HAART starting after the second trimester of pregnancy. Women were given the choice between FF and BF with weaning at 6 months. The latter group continued ART until 1 month after the end of BF.

Results: 572 women were enrolled. 528 children were born as of March 1, 2007. 304 mothers (58%) opted for FF while 224 (42%) chose BF under ART. Diagnostic PCR is so far available for 419 babies at 6 weeks of age and for 236 at 7 months of age. Among these, 6 children are infected with HIV (1,4%). All 6 had a positive PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) already at birth and, among those tested so far, none has become infected through breastfeeding under ART. Psychomotor development was assessed at different time intervals and the team found no difference between BF and FF children. No significant difference in morbidity was observed either. The difference in mortality was not significant: 9 children under FF died (2,9%), compared to 3 (1,3%) under BF (p=0,12).

Conclusions: Breastfeeding under triple antiretroviral therapy in children born to HIV-1 infected mothers is a safe way of avoiding HIV-1 infection in the baby while keeping the benefits of breastfeeding and avoiding the stigmatisation and risks of artificial feeding.

Authors: Arendt V., Ndimubanzi P., Vyankandondera J., Ndayisaba G., Muganda j., Courteille O., Rutanga C., Havuga E., Dhont N., Mujawamassiga A., Omes C., Peltier A.