Editor,

Allow me to express my gratitude to men who believe and understand what gender balance or women’s emancipation means to our society.

Unlike in the past where most men were against women’s empowerment and emancipation, today a number of them have grasped the significance and the implication gender balance.

How ever a report on GBV by the national police for 2005 through 2008 shows that there are still large numbers of cases of rape, defilement, corporal punishment, and murder by husbands are still going on.

In the last three years, there were 259 cases of wives murdered by their husbands, over 2,000 cases of rape, and close to 10,000 cases of defilement of children below the age of 18.

The fact that gender based violence in our homes is still going on, then struggle continue. This battle will never end if some men still do not value women.

Gender balance is the role of a man and a woman in political, social, economic development. Women are meant to participate in the development of the country.

They should not be harassed, given a platform to do anything which can lead to the well being of the family and the nation at large.

As I conclude, let me use this time to wish all Rwandan’s a happy women’s day. That is to take place on 8th, March, 2009. 

Kabeza