WESTERN PROVINCE RUTSIRO — In order to minimise domestic violence, women in the country have been warned against using the emancipation campaign to undermine their partners. The remarks were made by MP Marie Rose Mureshyantwari, during the district celebrations to mark the Rural Woman’s Day in Rutsiro district, last Friday. “If the Government of the National Unity passed a law …. it does not mean that you have to use it as a tool to abuse your husbands and engage in other unnecessary activities. You should rather use it to develop your families,” said the MP. The ceremony started with a ‘woman’s rights’ peaceful march from the district headquarters to Catholic Church grounds in Gihango Sector. The MP cited cases where some women sit next to their husbands in bars as some of the ways of abusing their freedom. She pointed out that such women should instead dedicate their time to helping their husbands to sort out different family issues. She reminded the women that history describes a Rwandan woman as the ‘Family heart’; and therefore they should conduct themselves in ways that do not compromise the existence of the family. “You are the lens of your families. So if you damage it, the shame will be upon you not your husbands,” she said, and stressed that women should play a big role in developing the nation by engaging in different developmental activities. Jean Ndimubahire, the district Mayor thanked area women for their contribution, saying their efforts made the district to emerge the best in this year’s districts performance contracts, which were evaluated recently. Claudette Muhawenimana, a mother of six said the day means a lot to rural women because it acts as a reminder to carry out self evaluation on what can uplift them. Ends
