GASABO - The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, has condemned the increase of gender violence in some parts of the country. She was speaking yesterday at the opening of a three-day workshop on violence against women at Hotel Novotel Umubano.

She largely attributed the vice to the increase in poverty among women, ignorance, drunkardness and wickedness.

"Most of the victims of gender-based violence are unemployed women who cannot denounce such abuses because of too much economic dependence,” she added.

The minister explained that cases of violence in various parts of the country are prevalent but people had not denounced them.

She revealed that according to police statistics, 2,935 rape cases were committed against children in 2007. She added that more than 12 percent of women were victims of at least one act of physical violence, and more than 13 percent were victims of psychological violence.

The minister called for a consolidated plan of action by all stakeholders to see that the violence is done away with. She added that there was need to reinforce intervention in mediation, economic empowerment and capacity building programmes so as to strengthen the fight against gender-based violence.

Augustine Kimonyo, a UNFP consultant, said that for the last twenty years, violence against women has been increasingly recognised as health, human rights and development issues.

He said a UN pilot programme to fight gender-based violence had been launched in 10 countries, Rwanda inclusive.

Other pilot countries are Burkina Faso, Jamaica (Caribbean), Paraguay, Chile (both Central America), Fiji (Pacific), Philippines (Asia), Jordan and Yemen (both Middle East), and Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia).

"The UN joint effort will assist states by supporting comprehensive national approaches against violence against women. Among the actions will be designing and implementing national action plan and other relevant programmes,” Kimonyo said.

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