District Gender Officers across the country have revealed that ignorance remains a stumbling block towards the promotion of gender parity and the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) across the country.

The officials said this yesterday at the beginning of a-five-day workshop, in Kigali, on how to hone their skills regarding gender and family promotion in the country.

The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIJEPROF).

Jose Uwimana, the official in charge of gender and family promotion in Nyabihu District said that a number of Rwandans are ignorant of the basic concepts of gender equality.

"I think most cases of GBV and related crimes are still a challenge due to the mindset of the community. The majority don’t clearly know what gender equality means,” Uwimana said.

She noted that the seminar would enable them to train local leaders and residents in their respective areas on how best to create a common understanding on gender mainstreaming.

Joshua Kabanda, a representative from Nyamasheke District, pointed out that GBV is a challenge to development.

"Nyamasheke District recently carried out a survey in all households to ascertain the status of GBV and related crimes because we can’t achieve sustainable develop if we still have such challenges,” Kabanda narrated.   

He noted that some of the cases of GBV in is district is as a result of failure among couples to have a mutual understanding about who should be the overall caretaker of family property and which type of family planning method to use.

Nadine Kayitesi, from Nyanza District, said that domestic violence is the most serious factor still affecting her district, adding that that most men decline to share property with their wives.

She noted that the district is working with the Access to Justice Bureaus and Haguruka, a local NGO that advocates for the rights of children and women, to address such challenges.
 
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