TMCnet News

Don calls for efforts to boost women scientists [New Times, The (Rwanda)]
[August 22, 2014]

Don calls for efforts to boost women scientists [New Times, The (Rwanda)]


(New Times, The (Rwanda) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A professor at the University of Rwanda's College of Sciene and Technology has urged girls to take up science courses.

Prof. Manasse Mbonye, the principal of the college, said girls should overcome existing inferiority complex to pursue science courses.

He was speaking yesterday during the university's graduation ceremony, where only 30 per cent of graduates were females.

"Today, we are graduating 1,273 students, of whom only 384, or about 30.2, are females,"  Mbonye said.

"As we celebrate, we should think of the lack of gender balance in regard to the future manpower in science and technology. These numbers challenge us in finding ways of increasing female enrolment in this college."   The college has a student population of 6,050, of which only 29 per cent are women.



Yesterday was the fourth day of the university's five-day graduation ceremony.

Halima Uwamwezi, 23, who graduated with Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, was the overall best performing female graduate.


Uwamwezi told The New Times that the certificate she received as one of the best graduates underlined the fact that girls can actually perform well in science courses.

"This certificate is an honour, a pride to my family and the country in general. This is also a pride to fellow girls; it is a sign that we (girls) are capable," Uwamwezi said.

She attributes the low number of girls taking up science courses to cultural and historical barriers, which she said should be overcome.

"Few girls graduating in science courses compared to boys does not justify that girls are ignorant. Traditionally, girls were looked down upon in education sector, and we are yet to fully overcome it," she said.

"However, if you sat in class and watched closely, girls are actually doing just as well as boys. We are glad to have policies that are helping break the historical barriers." The Minister for Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, who officiated at the ceremony, asked graduates to be responsible when they join the labour market.

"On this first graduation, I wish to remind staff and students that you have tested the integrated institution and harmonised curricula that this institution has put in place to reach a common purpose of updated education and sustainable development," he said.

The University of Rwanda was borne of the merger of seven public higher learning institutions in September last year. The move to merge the institutions was aimed at enhancing quality research, which would support the national development agenda.  Nsengimana asked the university staff and students to embrace the new changes as they are aimed at improving education quality in the country.

"The benefits of the reforms are to turn education liabilities into assets and challenges into opportunities if internalised by all stakeholders," Nsengimana said.

Prof. Mike O'Neal, the university chancellor, urged the graduates to strive to excel in the job market.

"You should follow your personal calling to a life of service, to be servant leaders in your particular service where you have been called by God as you make a difference in your lives and society," Prof. O'Neal said.

(c) 2014 The New Times Publications S.A.R.L All rights reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]