Anti-GBV campaign launched

The Rwandese Association for Family Welfare (ARBEF) and local leaders in Kirehe district have launched an anti-gender based violence campaign targeting recent returnees in the Eastern Province. The campaign aims at reaching out to 1,500 Rwandan returnees from Tanzania who are resident in different places in the province.They are targeted because of their nomadic history, according to the coordinator of the anti-GBV project in the Eastern Province, Sudi Iyamuremye.Although the GBV statistics in the district were not available, a survey by the Ministry of Health in 2009 showed that the Eastern Province had the highest prevalence with 999 GBV cases whereas other provinces had 548 cases each.Local authorities say returnees are the cause of the rising statistics, while residents blame GBV mainly on illicit brew known as Kanyanga and other drugs that make people lose self control.Anatalie Mukeshimana, a resident of Nyamugali, said with the absence of Kanyanga and cannabis, the GBV cases would be reduced significantly.Marie Thérèse, a resident of the the same sector, said the increasing GBV cases are due to ignorance about gender parity and related laws.According to the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2010, the Eastern region comes first with 24.9% of women age 15-49 who reported having experienced sexual related violence.

National

Anti-GBV campaign launched