As Rwanda continues to mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV), one of the most pressing challenges in society is the issue of independent working women.

The majority of Rwandans in one way or another still believe women should depend on men and that to a large extent, women cannot be 100 per cent independent.

It is a mindset that is mainly anchored in cultural and traditional beliefs where a woman mostly took her place in the kitchen and if they worked, they played second fiddle to men.

With women getting educated and enjoying the same opportunities as men, this has changed over the past decades, where women are increasingly becoming economically independent and running their own businesses.

As would be expected, some men, especially the culturally conservative ones, go as far as feeling threatened and their self-esteem affected when their wives bring home more than they do. It doesn’t stop there, sometimes it can even lead to a break-up.

What’s the issue?

Sarah Mukamurigo, a businesswoman, says she was subjected to domestic violence when her business flourished and she started earning more than her husband.

"When we just got married, he was employed and he was the breadwinner. I started a small grocery business which grew into a wholesale shop and I expanded into importing and exporting.

"Unfortunately, he lost his job but my business continues to grow and we are earning a lot of money. I tried to convince him that the business was for both of us but he wasn’t content. He started feeling insecure,” says Mukamurigo.

Despite her efforts to convince him, things turned even worse when he started over-drinking and getting violent. Every time she would return home a bit late, he would get violent.

"It got to a point where I felt that enough was enough and threatened to walk out of the marriage. That is when he came back to his senses and joined me in business and we started working together,” she says.

It is a dilemma many independent women go through, struggling with spouses who feel unworthy and insecure because their wives earn more, something which actually should be a blessing rather than a curse.

What women say

Zulfat Mukarubega, the founder of the University of Tourism and Business (UTB), says that it is important for women to enjoy their full right to work and financial autonomy because it directly benefits the household and society at large.

"Whenever women work, it reduces family conflict, because a husband and wife are supposed to participate together in the development of their home, which makes the man feel that the woman also has a real role to contribute in their development. It makes a man value a woman,” Mukarubega says.

She also points out that it is wrong for some women to have a mindset that a man should provide everything they need.

"It is not appropriate, especially in our society where the Government of Rwanda enacted laws to protect women so that they can claim an equal share of the family property where men and women split equally at 50 per cent each,” Mukarubega says.

She also says that today, women have a right to inherit either property from their husbands or from their parents unlike before.

As such, she says it is only fair that women can also work and enjoy financial independence just like men, and when they do so everyone benefits.

Businesswoman and real estate investor, Eugénie Mushimiyimana, says there is no reason women should not work and be financially independent.

"In Rwandan culture, we say that he or she who doesn’t work shouldn’t eat. That simply means that everyone has the right to not only work but also earn something out of it, for the benefit of the household, society, and country.

"When we say he who doesn’t work shouldn’t eat, it doesn’t apply to men only. It applies to women and young people too because we all need to eat or have needs to meet and we, therefore, have to work,” Mushimiyimana tells The New Times.

Mushimiyimana says a woman is not just a helper but a companion, meaning that a husband and wife have to work together.

"Women too have a duty to work and contribute to their households. This creates harmony in a family because your partner is bringing something, and they don’t depend on you for anything. For me this should be looked at positively,” the businesswoman says.

Mushimiyimana, who is a proprietor of several properties in town, says whenever a woman works and brings in money, there is even more value to it because women are astute planners and implementers compared to men.

"It has been proven over and over again that women do more with little and achieve more when they are in charge of finances,” she points out.

After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, following the revision of most archaic laws, Rwanda saw a rise in the number of independent women—women who have worked hard to gain their place in society and contribute to national development.

A recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) study shows that despite some challenges, the number of women working on their own terms has tremendously increased, in developed countries going well above 35 per cent while the number remains low in developing countries at about 25 per cent.

Despite women now being able to work and earn their own money, ILO says policymakers should focus on opening doors for equal opportunities for women to compete favourably in the workplace just like men.

The numbers of independent working women remain worryingly low in developing countries and also countries that advance Islamic beliefs, such as Afghanistan, where women are not allowed to freely compete in the marketplace.

While independent working women used to be reserved for highly educated individuals like doctors, lawyers, and accountants, the increasingly service-oriented economy, technological innovations, and a flourishing business sector have helped produce more women who are financially independent.