G:It’s nice to be sitting down with you today, thank you for making the time.
P: My pleasure, I am pleased to be here.
G: Before we get into the nitty gritty, I have to say... something that amazes me about your country is the fact that women primarily dominate! To put it into perspective, 56.3 percent of the parliament is made up of women, making it the most female-friendly national legislature on the planet. This was riveting for me to learn, I assume for our listeners as well. As a male president, how does this make you feel?
P: Yes! That is something we are well-known for. I am proud to be the president of a country where women feel they can stand up for themselves and be heard. I grew up watching my mother struggle and female relatives of mine struggle for representation, they were viewed as objects to be in the home and serve the family. This culture affected me and encouraged me to want to create change within my own family and country. I am honored to share that in 2008, only fourteen years after the awful war endured by my people, this country elected the first female dominated legislature. I am empowered by the work these women accomplish every day and their perspective on certain issues opens my own eyes to different possibilities and a better future for Rwanda.
G: Thank you...since your country is deemed “female-friendly”, you recently pardoned 367 women and girls in prison for abortion related crimes. I have come to learn that in your country a woman only had the right to an abortion in cases of rape, incest, forced marriage, and the health of the woman and fetus since 2012. This news surprises me. As a son and parent, what motivated you to pardon these women?
P: First, it is important for me to know that my own daughter, and nieces of course have the right to a safe, legal and accessible abortion in their homeland. We must respect and uphold the rights of women and pardoning these ladies was just one small step in the right direction. Luckily, strides have been made to remove the requirement for the court and an additional doctor’s permission. It won’t be as hard as it was in previous years to safely receive an abortion. We acted as a response to the public health, human rights, and especially human rights of women. I am pleased to have the support from SPECTRA, a group which advocates for women’s rights in our country.
G: Wow, it’s compelling to hear how these women have affected you as a leader and the country as a whole. In your answer, you mentioned the war...if you can give our listeners insight into this war and share how Rwanda continues to suffer the consequences.
P: Ah...yes, the war. Looking back on it now, I was heavily involved as the leader of the Patriot Front. We managed to put an end to the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. The Hutu ethnic group murdered over 800,000 people. Our country was under great stress and anguish. And to this day, we still find ourselves suffering. The promotion of racist or divisive behavior is illegal and strictly enforced and punishable by fines and jail time. We have progressed dramatically and we’ve made significant strides. We’ve built a stable society and economy, our country is now somewhere people want to travel to and feel safe doing so.
G: While your country suffers from the trauma, as you mentioned, you’ve still managed to run a country that happens to be the safest in Africa, with some of the friendliest locals. Would you mind giving our listeners some travel tips?
P: Well first, beware of plastic bags! All non-biodegradable polyethylene plastic bags were banned in 2008. We make it a point to be as friendly to our environment as we are to our family. And if you happen to be in our country without health insurance, I strongly suggest you get covered! Also, on a more serious note, any and all talk about the genocide should remain respectful and it's advised to avoid bringing it up in conversation. Many locals have been affected by the atrocity and still experience trauma.
G: Thank you so much for your time, I'm sure our listeners are inspired and already looking for the next flight to Rwanda. Thank you!
P: It really was a pleasure to share, thank you for having me!
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