RUYIGI, KAYANZA, CIBITOKE April 1st (ABP) – The celebration of Women’s Day continues across the provinces of Burundi.
In Ruyigi (eastern Burundi), the provincial governor, Mrs. Emerencienne Tabu, calls on the women of that province to seize the opportunity of the celebration of International Women’s Day to take stock of their achievements, each in terms of concerns it, to better develop.
She warns all couples in common-law unions, polygamists and polyandrous people in that province, that they are given 30 days to legalize their unions or simply break definitively with those illegal practices.
Those messages were sent on Tuesday March 26 during the closing of the campaign for the celebrations of International Women’s Day at the level of the communes of that province, which took place in Butezi commune.
The governor of Ruyigi invited all women to take the lead in increasing production and in the self-development of their families. She indicated that some women turn a deaf ear to the advice given to them and do not want to tackle development work. They must know that there is no form of development without the effective participation of women, she insisted.
Regarding men and women who practice cohabitation and sexual vagrancy, she specified that a campaign to fight against all forms of irresponsible sexuality is underway throughout the country. A period of only 30 days is given to all those concerned to regularize their unions. “We therefore call on all administrative officials throughout our province to stand up as one man and denounce all free unions in their localities,” declared Mrs. Tabu, pointing out that polyandry and polygamy are also prohibited.
Accompanying measures are also planned for the verification of all those couples, she warned, adding that all those who ignore that measure must necessarily be sanctioned by the law.
In Kayanza (northern Burundi), the women of the Butaganzwa commune celebrated the international day dedicated to them on Thursday March 28, it was noted on site.
The day’s ceremonies were preceded by a charitable act committed towards 32 bedridden patients at Musema hospital.
Each patient received 5 kg of corn flour, 2 kg of beans, 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of sugar, we observed on site.
In her speech for the occasion, the administrator of the Butaganzwa commune, Mrs. Janvière Kanyana, invited women to take charge of the education of their children and encourage their daughters to deal with early pregnancies because, she stressed, the latter are the source of different evils in society. She also urged them to cut corners with drunkenness and other behaviors that could tarnish their image. In addition, Mrs. Kanyana urged women not to immerse themselves in corruption, limit births to give birth to children whose couples are able to provide for their basic needs, and fight cohabitation.
To husbands, she advised not to mistreat their wives and support them in caring for children, to avoid sexual vagrancy and to support their wives in different projects, including increasing production.
In Cibitoke (north-west of Burundi), the celebration of International Women’s Day took place on Tuesday March 26, at the stadium in the capital of the Rugombo commune under the theme “Let’s walk together with women in development in increasing production.
For the governor of Cibitoke province, Mr. Carême Bizoza, celebrating that day allows women to assess the step already taken, the work that remains for them to do, as well as their contribution to their rights and development. To achieve that, Governor Bizoza called on the women of his province to fight in synergy against the phenomenon of polygamy or cohabitation.
The president of the Women’s Forum in Cibitoke province, Mrs. Annonciate Muruho, opposed the habit of certain men who take advantage of the increase in agricultural yield for unions with other women and mistreat their legal wives. She thanked the government for the opening of the Women’s Bank branch in Bujumbura, which will reduce the long distance and the means that women in her community would have to spend.
province looking for credits for their projects. She took the opportunity to testify to the positive development of women’s rights in her province, notably through the creation of nursery schools, some of which provide breakfast to children, which allows mothers to quietly go about their daily activities. She also welcomed the fact that girls and women are currently in the same fields, and that women benefit from the same salaries as men, in addition to paid maternity leave.
As for the director of BPDFS, Ms. Gertrude Niyokindi, she welcomed the government’s effort to eradicate SGBV and encouraged women in her province to stand out through work and lead by example in what is of cleanliness on the horizon of the vision Burundi, a country emerging in 2040 and developed in 2060.