Women who work in the informal sector have requested to be relieved from some taxation during their time off after giving birth. It was pointed out that women working in the informal economy, often under unwritten agreements and with little to no knowledge of labour laws that are designed for employment in the modern and organised formal economy, often don’t benefit from amenities that the law could provide for. ALSO READ: MPs propose law on paternity leave in Rwanda Take, for example, taxes. “After we give birth, regardless of whether you had a difficult pregnancy or took a long time to recover, and couldn’t go to work for a long time; you still have to pay taxes, regardless of whether you earned anything during that period,” explained Jeanine Mukamana, a retailer in Kimironko market. ALSO READ: How can mothers in informal sector benefit from new maternity law? This was highlighted during the celebration of the recently concluded Women’s Month on March 31, which assembled over 50 women from various informal organisations, such as market /street vendors, waste pickers, tailoring, hairdressing and hawkers, in the Kimironko sector. Tanga Community, a local social enterprise that advances the rights of women and girls in social and economic sectors, arranged the event to teach them about national laws and policies, particularly labour law, ILO. ALSO READ: Debate on maternity leave should be broadened It is also meant to empower and build the confidence of women to seek a digital economy, access to finance and use of mobile/money/ banking. The discussions were predominantly about their experiences and challenges in using mobile money, mobile banking and e-commerce, tax declaration and the integration of digital use in general. ALSO READ: Longer maternity leave sparks public debate Language barriers, little to no internet access, and gender norms are among the other mentioned difficulties encountered by women in the informal sector while using various digital spaces. “Sometimes it’s not that they can’t access or use these digital spaces, but rather that they have adopted poor mind-sets of viewing themselves as unfit or unable to comprehend how they work,” Yvonne Karemera, a tailor located in the Kimironko sector, shared. Women working in the informal sector make up 40-60% of total working women in Kigali according to the 2020 labour survey, yet they don’t get some social benefits such as a pension, health insurance or paid sick leave, in addition to routinely working for lower wages and unsafe conditions, including risks to sexual harassment. “This half-day meeting of women in the informal sector in celebration of Women’s Day was meant to discuss challenges they face in their work and suggest possible recommendations in addressing issues,” said Elise Umutoni Uwase, a social worker at Tanga Community. For instance, getting informed on financial literacy and independence, comprehending potential gains from joining the digital economy, and improving one’s sense of personal identification, she mentioned.
