Dialogue: Local Security Organs, Community Policing, Youth Volunteers, Friends of Families Called to Fight Against GBV

Réseau des Femmes Oeuvrant pour le Dévelopment Rural (Réseau des Femmes) in partnership with UN Women Rwanda, is implementing the project named “Empower and Include (E&I Project): ;Combating Gender Based Violence through empowering local security organs and Community in Nyarugenge and Gasabo Districts.’

It is in that framework that on March 6th, 2023 in Mageragere sector, Nyarugenge District, Réseau des Femmes organized a dialogue gathering different local security organs (duty bearers), community policing committees, Security Support Organ (DASSO), Youth Volunteers and Inshuti z’Umuryango (Friends of Families) and their partners (couples) to discuss their role in fighting GBV.

During the dialogue, the Legal Representative of Réseau des Femmes Mrs Xaverine UWIMANA explained that all these local security organs play a key role in combating Gender Based Violence (GBV)” in their daily work. She said that they also decided to engage their partners so that they can take the lessons together regarding family conflict resolution and fighting GBV.  She believes that leadership starts on a personal level before it extends to one’s family and eventually the community.

Speaking at the occasion, Mrs Betty Murebwayire, Corporate Services Division Manager in Nyarugenge district said that Reseau des Femmes  has contributed a lot in preventing family conflicts and GBV over the last one year of their activities in the district. She congratulate the organization for involving youth volunteers because they are the future community as well as family leaders.

On the other side of trainees, Mrs Speciose Ingabire who is in charge of security in Kankuba cell, Mageragere Sector, said that through the training, they learned how to talk to a person who has a conflict with the family or someone who faces GBV and thank Reseau des Femmes for that kind of training.

Training local security organs and community policing groups in order to have effective response to family conflicts and gender based violence (GBV) is seen as one of the best approaches to combat the two pressing issues.