The launch on Wednesday of Gender Accountability Day saw 156 cohabiting couples from five sectors in Nyagatare District legalise their union.

The event was held in Rwimiyaga Sector and the partners were awarded civil marriage certificates.

The two-day drive in Nyagatare, by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, in collaboration with Gender Monitoring Office, expects to officially unite over 300 families.

The Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Espérance Nyirasafari, described the act as "priceless”, adding that family is the foundation of Rwandan citizenship.

"Civil marriage is a law that must be implemented, the Constitution states that legally recognised marriage is the one in which vows are exchanged in front of government. When you are just cohabiting, you go against the law, so the first thing we are here to do is to make sure laws are obeyed,” she said.

"I cannot say that civil marriage solves all problems, but some are preventable, and your children must have legally recognised fathers and mothers,” said Nyirasafari.

The Chief Gender Monitor, Rose Rwabuhihi, said that the exercise was not as difficult as people may think.

"They are easy tasks that every district can conduct, that every family is able to do. They are so easy tasks that all institutions can put more efforts into,” she said.

Eastern Province Governor, Fred Mufulukye, said the Gender Accountability Day was also an opportunity for parents with unregistered children to register them. "The exercise will be carried out at the cell level, and the campaign will encourage people to register kids”, he said.

Thierry Ndikubwayo, who had been living with his partner since 2015, admitted to have cohabited with his wife illegally but said he immediately responded to the campaign as they had been wishing for it for a longtime.

"My wife and I had made the decision together. Now every one of us is going to have the same right to our possessions,” he said.

"Even in the Bible, there is a letter Paul the Apostle wrote to Romans urging them to respect the leaders because they are chosen by God,” he added.

Agnes Mukankubana, 75, who was living with her 85-year-old husband for decades, said they decided to do civil marriage because their "children might engage into succession conflicts after our deaths, but the Government will be able to intervene,” she said.

Médiatrice Uwingabire, 27, a mother of three and whose husband is a taxi motorcyclist, said they had been living together for over eight years. She said legalising their union was very important, especially because her spouse’s job was too risky.

"Without marriage, in case he gets trouble at work such as deadly accident, it’s not possible to get any benefits as a heir, but now that we are married, that problem cannot occur,” she said.

Rebecca Nyirabahire, 36, was living with her husband for 11 years, and they have four children together. She decided to officially marry her husband after noticing that he had abandoned some bad habits such as alcoholism and domestic violence.

"He used to come home drunk, and fighting, but I kept changing him, he gradually quit drinking. We later decided together to register for a civil marriage,” she said.

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