More than 6,300 feminists filled the BK Arena in Kigali for the opening of the Women Deliver Conference, where President Paul Kagame - and a few other men - joined women from all over the world to discuss challenges and solutions.
One could already tell by the atmosphere when Kagame entered that he is not just the Rwandan President, but so much more than that. He says the right things, and he is the kind that delivers. It's almost surreal that a former rebel leader could become a global champion for women's rights in less than three decades.
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When he took to the stage and talked about sharing childcare responsibilities, the women cheered. Rwandans know that when Kagame says something, someone will be held accountable in the near future.
Young Rwandan women often say they are glad they weren&039;t born at a time when women in Rwanda were considered literal properties, owned by their parents at first, and then by their husbands.
Rwandans at the time had a proverb: "ntawe useka indushyi ahetse umukobwa" - which loosely translates to "no one laughs at a troubled person when carrying a girl on their back." Having a girl itself was trouble, although many won't accept it.
Another one: "ubwiza bw'umukobwa nti bumubuza kuruha," which means that the beauty of a girl will not spare her from trouble. Being a girl was trouble itself before any other circumstances such as poverty, abuse, and more.
At a time when women&039;s only power and rights lied in a man they married or the one who gave birth to them, widows like "Mama Chantal" didn't stand a chance at a good life. That was the rule, and exceptions were rare.
At first glance, Devotha Musaniwabo is as busy as a bee. She writes down purchases and counts her money carefully. Her face lights up when a customer approaches her.
The 67-year-old mother of one doesn't shy away from sharing how her life has completely changed since joining Women for Women's "Urugo Women's Opportunity Center" located in Kayonza. The center was built in honor of Aloisea Inyumba, a late Rwandan politician who contributed greatly to women's economic empowerment.
Musaniwabo weaves baskets, and she is now taking classes to make carpets.
She used to be miserable, at least according to her account, until eight years ago when she started working. "I was living with a relative who used to provide everything for me. I couldn't even buy soap for myself," she added.
She has since bought land, built a house, and supports her daughter financially.
"A parent's child is always a child. Although she is grown up and has a job and a family of her own, I support her and her four children somehow," Musaniwabo said.
Musaniwabo has seen Rwandan women at their lowest, and she has lived in the before and after liberated Rwanda. "Starting from myself, I didn't study that much, but in these times, I am confident. I work hard and do different things. I want to achieve great development," Musaniwabo said.
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"Before Women for Women enrolled me, I was that kind of woman who doesn&039;t do anything. I was living in so much poverty. But after teaching us these vocations, they even taught us how we can sell our products," Musaniwabo added.
She also noted that working at the center has made her confident. "I find markets for my products, and I do many of them with so much energy."
Just like many women, much of Musaniwabo's credit goes to Kagame. "Our president. We women love him. He has encouraged us to work hard and to not shy away. That is what I do.
"I even got an opportunity to attend exhibitions outside the country. I went to neighboring countries, and even when they happen in the country, I participate. You see, at my age, you cannot apply for a job, but I created my own work, which doesn't have age limits," Musaniwabo said.
"I am an independent woman, I am a confident woman, I am that woman who doesn't have anywhere she cannot reach," she added.
For women in Rwanda, besides women's rights activists, Kagame is the driving force. At some point, women were referred to as "Kagame's women," especially when warning someone against committing domestic violence.
When he was campaigning for the presidency in 2017, he made the famous speech of "Rwandan women, don't touch," even today, 65 percent of married women find wife-beating excusable.
It was just almost three decades ago when the previous government called for the murder of 10 percent of the population in the most brutal way possible. About half a million women were raped with penises, gun barrels, Fanta bottles, machetes, and more. Their genitals were mutilated, hung on spears, and shown to whoever cared to see.
The existing law treated rape like the mere stealing of a chicken or some petty crime. Today, the accused face up to a life sentence.
The evolution of women's rights in Rwanda in just a short span shows that Kagame is a spark that inspires women to lead better lives. His commitments through the electoral gender quota, the girl education policy, and the anti-GBV law, among others, give hope to women, not just in Kayonza, but throughout Rwanda.
In Kayonza, "Mama Chantal" and her colleagues - many of whom are genocide widows - hail Kagame.
When you actually think about it, Urugo is more than just an opportunity center for women. It is also a place that shows that Rwandan women are determined - more than ever - to achieve self-reliance and dignity, thanks to a feminist president.