20 years ago, male domination in Rwanda was engraved in the constitution. The marriage contract was very specific; the man was the head of the household, period. A woman could not inherit family property because once she was married off and considered to be part of her husband’s family. The one positive thing in that arrangement was that a piece of land was always kept aside in case the woman divorced and returned to her family. Today it is a complete story altogether. Gender equality is now part of the Rwandan psych and women dominate in most official positions, be it in government or parliament and there is no better time to reflect on those achievements than today March 8, when the world celebrates International Women’s Day. The theme of the day; “I am generation equality: Realizing Women’s rights” is quite appropriate and women in this country should have reason to smile. A journey just across any of our borders should open their eyes to what gender inequality really is because many of our young female adults never experienced it. In some of those countries, women and girls have no say; they are mere properties to be disposed of on the whim of the man or male relatives. Some of those unfortunate women find it even harder when they become widows; they are hounded off their late husbands’ property or are forcefully “inherited” by his relatives. That is what some of our young ladies who are never shy to profess their feminist credentials should bear in mind. The next logical step is to intensify the fight to consolidate the gains and share progressive values with less fortunate societies across the world.
