Gone are the days when Regine Mukakalisa, a resident of Kayonza District thought it was her husband’s right and responsibility to control the household finances and expenses without her participation whatsoever. “When I got married, I would work but had no say on my salary management,” she said. “I had an account in a SACCO but my withdrawal slip book was kept by my husband. He would literally move with it in his pocket. He is the one who used to buy every single household material including food. I would also have to ask for money for my personal expenses,” explained the 58-year-old. According to Mukakalisa, she didn’t realize how economically constrained and emotionally burdened she was until she started attending discussions about women's empowerment. “I tried to sit down and convince my husband to take part in community discussions where the topic was discussed. It is only after some time that he started to understand that women have a say in managing finances,” Mukakalisa said. However, it was a slow process, she adds. “For instance, there are times when we would sell off a plot of land, and he would tell the buyer to give me the money but as soon as we got home, he would snatch it.” Mukakalisa is one of many women who suffer economic violence from their partners and it takes quite some effort to change from a victimized mind-set into an empowered person. Economic violence involves the abuser having full control of the victim’s money and other economic resources or activities leading them (the victim) to complete dependence for their most basic needs and satisfaction. It can be in different forms including, preventing or limiting education, regulating access to money or refusing access to financial information, and stopping or restricting funds necessary for needs. This form of violence, like all other forms of Gender Based Violence, disproportionately affects women. Chantal Umuhoza, a Rwandan-based feminist, said there is no empowerment of women until all aspects of women's lives are free from coercion and violence. This includes social, economic, cultural, political aspects, she noted, when any of the aspects is still lacking, women continue to be held back from releasing their full potential and their rights. “For example, a woman who works but is denied a say on how and when to invest their income, cannot be said to be empowered. We need to work towards eliminating all barriers to full empowerment otherwise we risk sustaining violence against women across all class categories,” she added. Activists have noted that economic violence is one of the key drivers of domestic violence which has far-reaching impact well-being of families. For instance, Mukakalisa disclosed that during those years she also endured emotional and physical abuse from her husband, especially when he was under the influence of alcohol. Speaking to The New Times, Joy Murekatete, an entrepreneur in horticulture, noted that “God has given equal capacity to both men and women, and men need to understand the benefits that come with a working woman in developing the family.” For circumstances where women have to provide primary care to young children as mothers, she emphasized that both partners have to agree and set a timeline after which the woman can go back to her professional work. “If there is a man saying that the wife should just sit down and not work, that is not right. What if he dies or loses his employment, how will the family survive? We should all provide for our families,” she said. Murekatete also highlighted that when it comes to managing finances, both partners have a say in it and that women shouldn’t be left out in decision-making. According to UN Women, investing in women and girls spurs a quick turnaround in economic growth of a country, this is while it is estimated that an increase in violence against women by one percent can reduce economic activities by up to 8 percent. Available data indicate that women entrepreneurs are a significant force in Rwanda’s private sector, as they head 42 percent of enterprises. Women comprise 58 percent of enterprises in the informal sector, which account for 30 percent of the national GDP. Fidele Niyoyita, a resident in Gatenga Sector, Kicukiro District, said that there is progress in gender equality in the country with a mind-set change from where it was traditionally believed as “men’s responsibility” to take part in income generating work alone, while women did unpaid care work. “We are in a different era. It is both parties’ responsibility to build a family in all aspects. Why send girls to school when they won’t be able to use the knowledge they gain?” he added. Niyoyita emphasized that men should take the lead in addressing all types of gender-based violence because “in the end, the impact is felt by everyone.” Mukakalisa, the mother of two, said that it has now been two years of positive change in her home, where she is enjoying equal freedom and access to finances, and shares most of the work, income generating, and house work with her husband.
