Rubavu toughens stance against gender based violence

WESTERN PROVINCE RUBAVU — Rubavu district Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs Jacqueline Bakunduseruye has warned residents to avoid gender based violence adding that the district authority will not tolerate any one involved in such acts. Bakunduseruye was speaking during her recent official visit to Cyanzarwe sector in Rubavu district to sensitize residents on Gender based issues. “There are still some cases of gender based violence happening in this district. We are working hard to end such forms of ills. And I’m warning men who still beat their wives that any one involved will be punished accordingly,” she said The vice mayor also condemned parents who married off minors an act which she said was illegal and un-acceptable by Rwandan law. “There are parents that have denied their daughters rights to education and instead sent them for illegal marriages at very tender ages. Or girls whose rights have been violated by being ordered to stay home to do household work while their brothers are sent to school. You should know that girls and boys have equal rights to education,” Bakunduseruye told residents. Etienne Nsabyimana Cyanzarwe sector coordinator said that efforts have been stepped up to ensure that the sector authorities moves with speed to formalize marriages as a way of curbing violence within families. “ There has been cases where whereby female counterparts who have not formalized their unions have been dumped and forcefully expelled by their husbands. We have also witnessed situations whereby due to lack of formalizing marriages we have had succession conflicts,” he explained. He urged residents to avoid polygamy and called upon women to always report any forms of injustices done to them to the authorities. He called upon all sector coordinators in Rubavu district to fight against polygamy since Rwandan law only recognizes monogamous marriages. Ends