The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloisea Inyumba, has called on women to develop self confidence so as to improve their contribution towards the development of the country.

She was speaking Wednesday during a meeting on the role of women in the economic development of the country organised by the Women’s Council in Gicumbi District on.

Inyumba said it was high time Rwandan women solved their own problems.

"Now that you have the government that advocates for you, develop self confidence and use the available opportunities to raise your value as we fight to develop our country,” Inyumba stated.

"Without the involvement of women in the economic development, the country cannot get anywhere because they even form the majority of the population”.

Women constitute 52 percent of the Rwandan population and 60 percent of the country’s revenues come from rural women through their agricultural activities, according to the government.

Gicumbi women were also called upon to seek credit facilities from financial institutions to increase their farming activities and improve their standards of living.

Marie Rose Ndejeje, the national vice president of the Women Council, urged rural women to formalise their marriages so as to create harmony in their families.

"Official marriage helps a lot in creating harmony in families because of legal protection. A man will never separate with you anyhow, so, if you are not currently officially married, I urge you to do so,” said Ndejeje.

During the event, several women testified how they have developed themselves.

Clementine Nshimyumukiza, a poultry farmer, is now one of  the prominent women in the district because of earning income from eggs.

She said she started with only 300 birds but currently rears over 3,000 chicken.

"I now earn about Rwf 3 million a month from eggs I supply to various customers in the district and in Kigali,” Nshimyumukiza disclosed.

The function also saw the recognition of several women who stood out of the crowd in various disciplines that included family planning, community policing, fighting Nyakatsi (thatched houses), among others.

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