The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, yesterday tabled before parliament a bill seeking to amend the current law governing the National Women’s Council.

The Minister said that there were necessary changes that need to be embedded in the law to streamline the operations of the council.

"The current law is outdated. There are a lot of changes that have taken place and require the council to have an updated version of the law governing it,” said the Minister.
The current law came into force in 2003. Since then there have been several changes, including the 2006 local administrative structure.

After her presentation, several MPs posed questions regarding the substance of the bill, some questioning why it states that being a member of the council is obligatory to every female who is 18 years and above.

MP Juvenal Nkusi expressed his concern over the article asking the minister why the law requires every female above 18 to join the council.

In her response, Mujawamariya said that details of the bill would be discussed in the Parliamentary committee that will revise the bill.

MP Juliana Kantengwa said she was not satisfied with the Minister’s responses.

"I read the bill, but when it came to the Minister responding to questions, she gave light answers and she ignored the fact that this is an autonomous agency,” Kantengwa said.   "She answered the questions like it was an agency under her ministry.”

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