KARONGI – Residents in Karongi district on Tuesday joined Police to launch a week long event dedicated to fight Gender Based Violence (GBV), promising full support to fight the vice.

In the company of local leaders, excited residents pinned stickers on vehicles and chanted songs condemning GBV as they marched around Kibuye town.

During the event, most of the residents who talked to The New Times expressed hope and optimism that GBV was getting under control as a result of the various campaigns against it.

"GBV is slowly reducing with time due to the intense campaign that is carried out against it. In the past men were looked at as dominant in most families and young children especially the girls were never considered for education, unlike today,” Perusi Muhirwa, one of the residents said.

Speaking shortly before the ‘march to condemn’, Bernard Kayumba, the district Mayor called upon the residents to work together in the fight against GBV.

"The struggle against bad practices like GBV begins with each one of you. We have to learn from the past in order to build a better future,” he said.

On his part, Supt. Alex Rutabayiro emphasized the need to concurrently fight the use of illicit drugs which have been identified as one of the major causes of this form of violence.

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