By NIKUZE NKUSI Diane
Historically Marginalized women from Kinigi and Nyange Sectors in Musanze district, Northern Province say that despite the Covid-19 pandemic taking all the focus of wellbeing of citizens there are serious injustices in form of physical and sexual abuse facing these communities and if not attended to urgently could result into loss of life.
Taking a tour through the homes of these Historically Marginalized women’s communities, you will be surprised by seeing the old mud houses with only few strings where the few belongings and clothes hang from. The tiny houses are made of sitting rooms where you will find tradition firewood powered stoves and bedrooms covered of boxes act as beds.
In these communities, you find majority of them that boys getting married to girls and stay in the same family houses where you find one household comprising of 5 families.
A new day begins with the newlyweds waking up early and moving to the trading center called Ninda where there is a market. You find most of them are casual laborers, carrying cargo for people in the market or trading crops even though they do not engage in agriculture traditionally. Another group of these communities is that one of the jobless or idlers who sit the whole day drinking and waiting for a well-wisher to buy them a free drink. Between 15:00 and 18:00 hours, you find them drunk already.
Majority of them in the communities of Historically Marginalized people you find them in a very unhealthy and filthy dirty conditions, walking barefoot and children also in very dirty clothes who do not look like they have been bathing at any recent past. Generally you find women are the ones at least looking neat but, complaining about sexual and physical abuse from their husbands while the local leaders do nothing to stop it.
Women decry Sexual and physical abuse while leadership does mothing
Kabibi Vestine, 30 year old said that the husband is the third one from Nyabutaka village, Ninda cell, Nyange sector Musanze district said. When she goes to the corporative, she works from and get someone to offer her a drink when she gets home the husband beats her seriously and accuses her of not bringing food for the family while the husband is also doing nothing.
“Our husbands beat us up seriously and when we ask our mothers they only say we should get used to it as if it’s the way of life. They accuse us of not bringing food for our families while themselves bring nothing. When we report cases to the local leaders they claim that we are the perpetrators of the crimes instead of taking us as victims” Kabibi Narrates.
Kabibi is appealing to the government to settle all these injustices in order to stop men from continuing to commit these abuses to women in their communities.
One girl from the village of Buturwa 2, Nyagisenyi cell, Kinigi sector, said that they reside close to the forest and that’s why she thinks the husband left her for another woman who has food and created conflicts between the families that is why she does not get basic help from local leaders.
“My husband came back after he got a temporally job but, he comes drunk and beats me the whole night.”
Men react to sexual and physical abuse allegations
Bizimana Yohani, married with 6 children from Kabagorozi village, Ninda cell, Nyange sector, Musanze district, said most time, I beat up my wife because she is the one who does not fulfill her responsibilities.
He adds; “we the historically marginalized people our women are very difficult to handle, they love alcohol too much and if you are not tough with them then they will never take care of your home at all. We have to punish them since is how we grew up seeing our parents do it”
He says that if you are to ask local leaders the historically marginalized women need special attention because of not taking care of their families and chronic drinking. So it’s ok to beat them up as a reminder of responsibilities as women and not drunkards.
“beating up my woman is inevitable because am a third husband she has had and all of her past husbands also use to beat her up because of not being responsible” Bizimana adds.
The local grassroot leaders claim they have failed to intervene in family matters because the historically marginalized women have always been the center of the problems and most cases usually go unreported to authorities.
Early marriages also another huddle in the problem
When the Press wanted comments from the youths of the historically marginalized people, most of them declined to comment but two of them accepted to talk to the Press.
Mukamana who gave birth at the age of 14, and by now with their second child at the age of 18, from Nyagisenyi village, Nyamirima cell, Kinigi sector said that, she decided to go and stay with the father of her first born. After she was fed up with the nonstop fighting between her parents, which were fueled by the Covid-19 lockdown. Even though I am lashed with canes everyday will only go back home when am tired of being beaten by the father of my children to.
Mushimiyimana Dancila 17 from Kansoro village, Kabeza cell, Nyange sector while talking to the Press said, girls marrying themselves to men is the main source of trouble. Many girls marry themselves to men sometimes they don’t even love just to escape the fighting from parents who sometimes not beat mothers only but also children.
Sexual abuse and physical abuse in the communities is a mindset problem
The Executive Secretary of COPORWA the umbrella group advocating the rights of the historically Marginalized people, Bavakure Vincent said, the problems linked to poverty, traditional behavior and mindset which makes men think that they are superior or dominant in the families and have a right to punish or beat up their wives.
“We get news and information from other Non-governmental organizations about abuses in these communities while blaming them for the atrocities we also blame the local authorities for not following up the problems by first being biased thinking that these people are difficult to deal with and ending up victims not getting justice.” Vincent adds.
Former Senator Kalimba Zephyrin, who stands for the interests of the minority historically marginalized peoples interests in the Senate said that when they visited the communities of Nyange and Kinigi they found problems of hygiene, poverty but the problems at limelight as serious was the one of sexual and physical abuse. “Am going to address it to the Government for special attention since the women in that community are facing difficult situation but, will start with the grassroot leaders who are next to them before proceeding.” He said.
The Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs Musanze district, Kamanzi Axelle told the Press that these communities are Rwandans just like any other, if there is any sexual or other problem it should be reported to responsible authorities for solutions to be found. There is no special treatment for a specific group or section of Rwandan society and whoever commits such a crime should be punished by the law applying equally to all Rwandans.
Axelle says; “we are going to put much effort in solving the problems of violence and sexual harassment in these communities and hunt down perpetrators while at the same time teaching the men to change their behavior.”
She also stressed and reminded the communities to report people who do not report men who pregnant underage girls as it is a crime punishable by law and is a main source of conflicts in families.
The research conducted by COPORWA in 2018 found out that many historically marginalized people are in a poverty cluster at 0,29% that is equivalent to 36,073 people of all the Rwandan population of 12 million, and are found in all 30 districts making up Rwanda.
