Achieving gender equality in technology and innovation is just one part of the wider struggle to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, President Paul Kagame has said.

Kagame was speaking at the virtual Generation Equality Forum, global feminist gathering convening governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and young people seeking to drive gender equality forward.

Guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, Kagame said is key in that every human being should be able to live the life that they choose regardless of their gender.

“Achieving gender equality in technology and innovation is just one part of the wider struggle to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for women and girls,” he said.

Sharing Rwanda’s approach towards achieving gender equality in technology and innovation, Kagame said that Rwanda intends to bridge the gender gap in digital access by 2026.

“We will do this in three specific areas; ownership of smartphones, access to digital financial services, and science and technology and math studies at the upper secondary level,” he added.

“Secondly, we will ensure that our innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem is fully inclusive, by doubling the number of women and girls supported by innovation centres,” he added.

Rwanda’s pursuits in the subject, he said, are also shared by the East African Community in pursuit of possible joint commitments in the subject.