By Clementine Nyirangaruye
Students and school leaders at Don Bosco Gatenga Technical Secondary School (TSS) marked International Women’s Day by celebrating the progress made in promoting gender equality and empowering girls in vocational and technical education.
The celebration took place at the school on March 11, 2025, and featured a variety of activities highlighting the courage, resilience, and contributions of women in society. The event also emphasized the increasing number of girls enrolling in vocational training programs and their improving academic performance.
Clementine Uzamureba, the school’s Gender Officer, noted that the institution has made significant progress in encouraging girls to pursue technical and vocational studies.
“Over the past three years, since the launch of the Gender Matters for Green TVET project, the number of girls has increased significantly, and we are very pleased with this progress,” she said. “In the 2022–2023 academic year, there were only 55 girls, but that number has risen to 209 in the 2025–2026 academic year, while the school now has a total of 534 students.”
Beyond the increase in enrollment, the school has also introduced measures to ensure that girls learn in a safe and supportive environment and achieve strong academic results.
“Among the achievements we are proud of is the improvement of infrastructure that supports girls’ education,” Uzamureba explained. “This includes girls’ dormitories and a Girls’ Room, where students can manage menstrual hygiene in a safe and private space. We have also provided counseling services to students facing family-related challenges, helping them stay focused on their studies and perform very well—sometimes even better than boys.”
Fr. Callixte Ukwitegetse, the school director, encouraged students to become agents of positive change in society by valuing themselves and preventing wrongdoing before it occurs.
“We stay close to the students during study time, and we are also with them during their leisure time,” he said. “We give them the freedom that allows them to study well and feel protected. This helps them build confidence, avoid wrongdoing before it happens, and become solutions wherever they go.”
One female student studying Electrical Technology, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the celebration left her with a powerful lesson about confidence and self-reliance.
“Celebrating International Women’s Day has taught me an important lesson about believing in myself and being independent,” she said. “I now clearly understand that girls are capable. I am ready to contribute solutions without giving up, because whatever a boy can do, I can also do—and even go beyond.”
The celebration also featured traditional dances and poetry performances honoring women and highlighting their vital role in society. In recognition of academic excellence, girls who achieved scores above 80 percent were awarded prizes to motivate them to continue striving for high performance.
This year’s celebration was held under the theme: “Empowered Women, Stronger Nation.”
This was made possible with funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation and Jugend Eine Welt.
