Source: Sunday Times
An International charity organisation, Action Aid Rwanda, has pledged more commitment towards supporting rural women in fighting hunger, enhancing their economic strength through building their capacities and attainment of gender equality.

The renewed commitment was delivered during the International Women’s Day Celebration at Mujyojyo School in Gitesi Sector of Karongi District in the Western Province on Friday.

Action Aid Rwanda Head of Policy and Programmes, Innocent Mutabaruka, presented cheques worth Rwf5 million to the three best performing cooperatives: Isangano, Abadahigwa, and Tuzamurane, to assist them invest more in their activities.

In the same function, Action Aid donated 21 pigs to mothers with malnourished children, pineapple shoots to Abatigamba Cooperative, banana suckers to Tugimbere Cooperative and Rwf2 million to Abadahigwa for work on the trenches and the water distribution system on Mujyojyo hill.

Mutabaruka noted that women cannot continue to be used as domestic tools but as equal partners, with equal participation, voice and sharing of responsibilities in the family.

“Women are partners in the home, colleagues at workplaces and their position anywhere does not come as a favour, but a right,” he said. “They can do what men can, and even supersede them,” he said.

The Director of Finance at the Gender Monitoring Office, Grace Happy, urged men and women to share family responsibilities as this earns more dignity to the family and communities.

“Sharing responsibilities brings more dignity and resilience to the family, but idleness breeds inferiority complex and the dormant member in the set is most likely to be susceptible to suppression and outright subjugation,” Happy cautioned.

The celebrations, which were kicked off with the community work of cleaning trenches and laying a water pipe on Mujyojyo Hill, were characterized by dances and songs.

They attracted members from 14 cooperatives who exhibited products of their labour, including handicrafts, apiculture, farming and a nursery school.

• Rwanda