GENERATION G
Imagine a world where you can be who you want to be. Gender-just and violence-free societies where young women and men can live in their full diversity. It’s possible. But it requires a big change. Generation G seeks to make this change. Generation Gender is a multi-country program and partnership funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Young people are at the heart of the program, as catalysts for change and as a key target group. The partnership involves Rutgers International and a consortium composed of Equimundo, Sonke Gender Justice, and ABAAD.
The consortium coordinates the efforts of 7 national coalitions made of local civil society organizations operating in different countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Morocco, Lebanon, Giordania, and Indonesia. In Rwanda, the Gen G coalition includes the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC), the Health Development Initiative (HDI), and the African Youth and Adolescent Network (AfriYAN). The Gen G Rwanda coalition has been working closely with young people and youth-led organizations to challenge the root causes of gender-based violence and to promote gender justice, through gender transformative training activities, youth-led advocacy initiatives, engagement of different duty bearers, intergenerational dialogues, peer-to-peer debates online and offline both at the national level and at at the local level. With a network of motivated and skilled young gender advocates and with a strengthened civil society, it is possible to influence policy change and implementation, as well as to create public support for gender justice.
The pathways and long-term objectives for Generation Gender in Rwanda reflect the global Theory of Change and include:
1. Public support: A growing number of young men and women are mobilized to promote gender justice and prevent GBV on and offline in Rwanda.
2. Policy change: Gender machinery and other high-level government institutions are open and positively adhere to feedback from CSOs and communities for gender transformative and youth-inclusive policies and laws.
3. Civil society strengthening: Rwandan civil society has increased its understanding of policy formulation mechanisms and uses evidence to act as effective monitors and advocates for gender justice, gender transformative, and youth-inclusive laws and policies.
The work of Generation G Rwanda intends also to reflect the global program principles which are:
Gender Transformative Approach (GTA), Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation (MIYP), Inclusiveness, Do no Harm and Accountability.