How women are revolutionizing Rwanda
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0:01 - 0:05I came back to my home of Rwanda
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0:05 - 0:09two years after the 1994 genocide
against the Tutsi. -
0:10 - 0:13The country was devastated.
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0:13 - 0:17The children I was caring for
in the hospitals -
0:17 - 0:20were dying from treatable conditions,
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0:20 - 0:26because we didn't have equipment
or medicine to save them. -
0:28 - 0:32I was tempted to pack my bag and run away.
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0:33 - 0:35But I debated with myself.
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0:36 - 0:42And because I'm really dedicated
to social justice and equity, -
0:42 - 0:46and there were only
five pediatricians in total -
0:46 - 0:49for millions of children in Rwanda,
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0:50 - 0:52I decided to stay.
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0:53 - 0:59But among the people
who have motivated my decision to stay, -
0:59 - 1:03there were some fantastic women of Rwanda,
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1:03 - 1:10some women who had faced
the genocide and survived it. -
1:11 - 1:18They had to overcome
unbelievable pain and suffering. -
1:18 - 1:25Some of them were raising children
conceived through rape. -
1:25 - 1:29Others were dying slowly with HIV
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1:29 - 1:35and forgave the perpetrators,
who voluntarily infected them -
1:35 - 1:38using HIV and rape as a weapon.
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1:40 - 1:42So, they inspired me.
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1:42 - 1:44If they can do that,
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1:44 - 1:47I can stay and try to do my best.
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1:48 - 1:52Those ladies were really activists
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1:52 - 1:55of peace and reconciliation.
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1:55 - 1:59They show us a way
to rebuild a country -
1:59 - 2:03for our children and grandchildren
to have, one day, -
2:03 - 2:06a place they can call home, with pride.
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2:08 - 2:11And you can ask yourself
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2:12 - 2:17where this shift of mindset
has brought our country. -
2:18 - 2:20Today in Rwanda,
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2:20 - 2:27we have the highest percentage
of women in parliament. -
2:28 - 2:30(Applause)
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2:30 - 2:33Wait till I tell you the percentage --
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2:33 - 2:35sixty-one percent.
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2:35 - 2:38(Applause)
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2:38 - 2:44Today, we have the best campaign
for the vaccination of children -
2:44 - 2:51with, among our success, 93 percent
of our girls vaccinated against HPV -- -
2:51 - 2:53(Applause)
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2:53 - 2:56to protect them against cervical cancer.
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2:57 - 2:59In this country, it's 54.
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2:59 - 3:01(Laughter)
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3:01 - 3:06We have reduced
child mortality by 75 percent, -
3:06 - 3:09maternal mortality by 80 percent.
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3:10 - 3:12In early 2000s,
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3:12 - 3:16there were nine women
who were dying every day -
3:16 - 3:19around delivery and pregnancy.
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3:19 - 3:21Today, it's around two.
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3:22 - 3:23It's an unfinished agenda.
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3:23 - 3:26We still have a long way to go.
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3:26 - 3:27Two is still too much.
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3:31 - 3:37But, do I believe that those results
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3:37 - 3:42are because we had a big number of women
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3:42 - 3:44in power positions?
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3:45 - 3:46I do.
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3:46 - 3:48(Laughter)
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3:48 - 3:49There is -- yes --
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3:49 - 3:50(Applause)
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3:51 - 3:53there is a study in the developing world
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3:53 - 3:59that shows that if you improve
the status of women, -
3:59 - 4:03you improve the status
of the community where they live. -
4:04 - 4:09Up to 47 percent of decrease
in child mortality. -
4:10 - 4:12And even in this country where we are now,
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4:12 - 4:14it's true.
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4:14 - 4:18There is a study by a lady
called Patricia Homan, -
4:18 - 4:23who projected that if women and men
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4:23 - 4:27were at parity in state legislatures,
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4:27 - 4:32there would be a drop of 14.5 percent
in child mortality -- -
4:32 - 4:34in America!
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4:35 - 4:39So we know that women,
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4:39 - 4:43when they use their skills
in leadership positions, -
4:43 - 4:47they enhance the entire population
they are in charge of. -
4:48 - 4:51And imagine what would happen
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4:51 - 4:56if women were at parity with men
all over the world. -
4:56 - 4:59What a huge benefit we could expect.
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5:00 - 5:01Hmm?
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5:01 - 5:02Oh, yeah.
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5:02 - 5:04(Applause)
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5:04 - 5:06Because in general,
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5:06 - 5:09we have a different style of leadership:
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5:09 - 5:11more inclusive,
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5:11 - 5:13more empathetic,
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5:13 - 5:16more caring for little children.
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5:16 - 5:18And this makes the difference.
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5:20 - 5:26Unfortunately, this ideal
doesn't exist in the world, -
5:26 - 5:31and the difference between men and women
in leadership positions -
5:31 - 5:33is too big.
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5:34 - 5:39Gender inequity is the norm
in the majority of professions, -
5:39 - 5:41even in global health.
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5:43 - 5:49I have learned that if we focus
on women's education, -
5:50 - 5:53we improve their life positively
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5:53 - 5:56as well as the well-being
of their community. -
5:57 - 6:02This is why now I dedicate
my life to education. -
6:03 - 6:08And this is totally aligned
with my sense of equity -
6:08 - 6:11and my pursuit of social justice,
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6:12 - 6:18because if you want to increase
access to health services, -
6:18 - 6:22you need first to increase
access to health education. -
6:23 - 6:27So with friends and partners,
we are building a beautiful university -
6:27 - 6:29in the rural north of Rwanda.
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6:30 - 6:33We educate our students
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6:33 - 6:39to provide quality,
equitable, holistic care -
6:39 - 6:42to everyone, leaving no one out,
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6:43 - 6:47focusing on the vulnerable,
especially women and children, -
6:48 - 6:52who are historically
the last to be served. -
6:53 - 6:56We transform them into leaders
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6:56 - 7:00and give them managerial skills
and advocacy skills -
7:00 - 7:04for them to be smooth changemakers
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7:04 - 7:06in the society where they will be,
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7:06 - 7:08so that they can build health systems
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7:08 - 7:12that allow them to care
about the vulnerable where they are. -
7:13 - 7:15And it's really transformative.
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7:16 - 7:19Because currently,
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7:20 - 7:22medical education, for example,
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7:22 - 7:27is given in institutions based in cities,
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7:27 - 7:33focused on quality health services
and skills, clinical skills, -
7:35 - 7:37to be given in institutions.
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7:38 - 7:43We also focus on quality clinical skills
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7:43 - 7:49but with biosocial approach
to the condition of patient, -
7:49 - 7:54for care to be given in communities
where the people live, -
7:54 - 7:57with hospitalization only when necessary.
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7:59 - 8:00And also,
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8:00 - 8:06after four to seven years
of clinical education in cities, -
8:06 - 8:10young graduates don't want
to go back to rural area. -
8:12 - 8:18So this is why we have built
the University of Global Health Equity, -
8:18 - 8:22an initiative of Partners
in Health, called UGHE, -
8:22 - 8:24in the rural north of Rwanda.
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8:25 - 8:30(Applause)
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8:31 - 8:33Our students
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8:34 - 8:36are meant to go and change the world.
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8:37 - 8:42They will come from all over --
it's a global university -- -
8:42 - 8:45and will get the medical
education for free -
8:45 - 8:47at one condition:
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8:47 - 8:51they have to serve the vulnerable
across the world -
8:51 - 8:53during six to nine years.
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8:53 - 8:57They will keep the salary
for themselves and their families -
8:57 - 9:01but turn the education we give
in quality clinical services, -
9:01 - 9:03especially for the vulnerable.
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9:04 - 9:07And doing so,
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9:07 - 9:12they sign an agreement at the start
that they will do that, -
9:12 - 9:14a binding agreement.
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9:14 - 9:16We don't want money.
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9:16 - 9:18We have to go and mobilize the money.
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9:19 - 9:24But they will turn this
in quality service delivery for all. -
9:27 - 9:29For this, of course,
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9:29 - 9:33we need a strong gender equity agenda.
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9:33 - 9:37And in all our classes, master's course,
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9:37 - 9:39minimum of 50 percent of women.
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9:40 - 9:44(Applause)
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9:44 - 9:46And I'm proud to say
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9:46 - 9:50that for the medical school
that started five months ago, -
9:51 - 9:54we have enrolled 70 percent girls.
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9:54 - 9:57(Applause)
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9:57 - 10:01This is a statement against
the current inequity -
10:02 - 10:06for women to access
medical education in our continent. -
10:08 - 10:13I believe in women's education.
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10:13 - 10:18This is why I applaud African ladies
who go all over the world -
10:18 - 10:22to increase their education,
their skills and their knowledge. -
10:22 - 10:25But I hope they will bring
that back to Africa -
10:25 - 10:27to build the continent
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10:27 - 10:30and make the continent a strong continent,
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10:30 - 10:32because I'm sure
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10:33 - 10:37a stronger Africa
will make the world stronger. -
10:39 - 10:43(Applause)
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10:45 - 10:47Twenty-three years ago,
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10:47 - 10:50I went back to Rwanda,
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10:51 - 10:52to a broken Rwanda,
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10:52 - 10:55that now is still a poor country
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10:55 - 10:58but shining with a bright future.
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10:59 - 11:01And I am full of joy to have come back,
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11:01 - 11:04even if some days were very difficult,
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11:04 - 11:08and even if some days I was depressed,
because I didn't find a solution -
11:08 - 11:09and people were dying,
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11:09 - 11:12or things were not moving enough.
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11:14 - 11:18But I'm so proud to have contributed
to improve my community. -
11:19 - 11:22And this makes me full of joy.
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11:22 - 11:26So, African women from the diaspora,
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11:27 - 11:29if you hear me,
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11:29 - 11:32never forget your homeland.
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11:33 - 11:36And when you are ready, come back home.
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11:38 - 11:39I did so.
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11:40 - 11:42It has fulfilled my life.
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11:43 - 11:45So, come back home.
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11:46 - 11:47Thank you.
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11:47 - 11:51(Applause)
- Title:
- How women are revolutionizing Rwanda
- Speaker:
- Agnes Binagwaho
- Description:
-
In 1996, Agnes Binagwaho returned home to Rwanda in the aftermath of its genocide. She considered leaving amid the overwhelming devastation, but women in her community motivated her to stay and help rebuild -- and she's glad she did. In an inspiring talk, Binagwaho reflects on her work as Rwanda's former Minister of Health and discusses her new women's education initiative for the country, which strives to create one of the greatest levels of gender equality worldwide.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 12:03
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
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Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
Camille Martínez accepted English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for How women are revolutionizing Rwanda |