A group of women leaders from the grass-roots level have vowed to fight with any abusive man oppressing women or his family members in their respective areas.
According to them, “fighting” means sensitizing women on their rights apprehend guilty men and more so financially empower oppressed women.
The unanimous decision was made in a meeting that involved officials of the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum headed by Alphosine Mukarugema who is also a member of parliament.
She urged the women leaders to step up their efforts in discouraging the culture of silence since it allows impunity to perpetrators.
“How can you be brutally beaten by your husband and you continue keeping quiet, and because you don’t react he will never learn from his mistake and instead the harassment goes on. Stop sympathizing , report them to authorities and you will live a happy life,” she advised.
The law stipulates that those found guilty of gender violence, this time including women who hurt men also face a jail term of 10 to 15 years or a fine of Frw100,000 to Frw 500,000.
Marie Grace Mukashema (above), who is divorced with four children gives a brief testimony of how she shaped her life after parting with her husband who had become a nuisance.
“Being beaten and insulted were normal things I faced every time my husband came home drunk, after prolonged days of torture I couldn’t bear his habits and I left him despite family pressure encouraging me to persevere,” Mukashema further added.
“While out with my kids I camped at a church where I got trained by experts from ActionAid Rwanda on vocational skills, now I head a bee cooperative and I have a hybrid cow, and even my children are studying well.”
Josephine Uwamariya the country director of ActionAid Rwanda urged the leaders to emphasize more on economic empowerment since it reduces dependence of women on spouses.
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