Rwanda National Police

The World Bank Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has hailed Isange One Stop Centre as an excellent model which offers hope to victims of gender based violence (GBV) with efficient and effective assistance that they require.

Established at the Rwanda National Police Hospital in Kacyiru in 2009 with the support of the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame and One UN, the centre offers free services that include medical and counseling to victims of GBV while it also helps to collect evidence for the prosecution of offenders.

The centre also offers 24/7 free referral and specialized services like medico-legal, gynecology and obstetrics, mental health, legal and investigation, psychosocial, safe room and social integration services.

While visiting the centre on May 15, Indrawati, noted that offering such high level services to victims of GBV is important in the promotion of gender equality, and hailed the government for its commitment to this goal.

She was accompanied by the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa, and received by senior police officers.

“Offering quality and timely services to GBV victims is one important way that a country can instill the values of gender equality in the community. Isange One Stop Center provides such services for free and to all those who need. This is the nature of good governance that propels quality treatment and justice to the citizens,” she said.

“World Bank and Rwanda are good partners and we both believe in the values of socio-economic empowerment. The first step of empowering vulnerable people in society, including women and children, is by offering services that are vital, such as the ones offered at Isange."

Police Spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Celestin Twahirwa, said that the center receives for at least 10 victims of GBV on a daily basis, indicating its valuable service to the society.

The centre has handled over 10,000 cases of GBV since its establishment.

“Reports on cases of GBV throughout the country have been increasing, which shows that the sensitization programs that RNP and its partners conduct countrywide are indeed rewarding. People are no longer afraid to report when they experience violence of this nature, or when they know someone who is experiencing GBV,” he noted.

“The center has been scaled out to other provinces and currently, there are 12 centers across the country offering extremely important services to victims of GBV, and the centers are expected to be scaled up to 44 hospitals across the country by the end of this year.”

In 2012, the centre received the United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA) for its efforts in fighting GBV – and its success has propelled government to scale it out to 41 district hospitals across the country by the end of this year.