Editor,

There was a time when women all over the world were ridiculed by chauvinistic men, with husbands beating their wives and deeming it perfectly normal. However, times have changed and now women have a say in how they want to live their lives. Therefore, old adages like ‘women are supposed to be seen but not heard’ are only a whisper.

However any means to women empowerment should start with economic empowerment because a person without an income is basically a slave to their benefactor. That is why I commend the initiative by Aspire Rwanda to equip women with hands-on skills so that they can become independent and look after their families.

Also such initiatives are also beneficial to society because they increase employment opportunities in the country. The whole world should change the way they perceive girls and women because they are not beasts of burden who should only carry out menial jobs around the household. They are Intelligent and able to positively contribute to the nation’s development.

Charles Agaba