Women Safe Spaces: Giving Women a Voice against Gender Based Violence (GBV)
By Mary Balikungeri, Founder & Director of RWN
Rwanda is renowned globally for its progressive policies that promote women’s empowerment and denounce GBV and discrimination. Although policies that outlaw GBV are in place, several factors such as patriarchal
Speaking on her experience, Eugenie
Mukabaziga from Rugwiza village, Munyiginya sector in Rwamagana describes the Women
Safe Space in her sector as a warm and welcoming space for women especially
having experienced GBV in her marriage. The spaces are led and driven by Women
Space Facilitators who are selected by other women from the villages within the
sector and supported by RWN field staff. “The Women Space Facilitator reached
out to me at a time when I felt helpless and had given up on myself and life in
general because of the abuse I was facing,” says Eugenie. She did not consider
reporting her husband to the authorities because she depended on him to support
the family as the breadwinner. However, the Women Safe Space not only provided
support for Eugenie, they also reached out to her husband. The Women Space
Facilitators conduct dialogues with men to promote a change in mind-set and make
them key partners in the fight against GBV. Eugenie’s husband has a greater
understanding of the dangers of GBV through the dialogue sessions. He is also
aware of the positive role he can play in his home and the community to
denounce it. Eugenie attests that through the Women Safe Space there is
significant transformation in both their lives including peace at home.
Different factors are believed
to influence GBV such as the misinterpretation of gender roles. Some men
believe that their main role is to provide for the family while caring for the
children is the women’s sole responsibility and any mistakes made by the child
are a failure of the mother’s upbringing. Such was the case for Beatrice
Mukankuranga from Kabarondo, Kayonza another beneficiary of a women safe space.
Her eldest daughter became pregnant at an early age and had to drop out of
school. According to Beatrice, her
daughter’s pregnancy resulted in a lot of tension in the household, especially
between her and her husband as it goes against cultural norms that condemn
child bearing out of wedlock. As a result her husband would physically abuse
her and she would take out the frustration by verbally abusing her daughter.
She says, “there was no peace in my home.” She was advised by women in her
village to go to the Women Safe Space for support in dealing with her situation
and eventually joined as a last resort to the escalating tension in her
household.
Beatrice shares that through
the space, she learnt to accept the situation as it could not be changed and
work towards a better future for her daughter and grandchild. She also learnt
the importance of communication and peace in the home as a way of resolving
conflict. “The space not only supported me but also invited my daughter and helped
both of us rebuild our relationship,” narrates Beatrice. My daughter has since
given birth and is continuing to pursue her education as I help her take care
of her child.” According to Beatrice, the empowerment and transformation in her
attitude made her husband curious about the Women Safe Space and he started to
attend outreach village meetings. The impact or the empowerment of women
involved in the spaces is normally so visible that their husbands develop an
interest and join the community outreach activities. Outreach village meetings
have helped to actively engage the community and condemn patriarchal attitudes
and cultural norms that justify violence against women and girls.
Opinion leaders are key members
in society and play an influential role in accepted views and the
transformation of a community. Speaking on the impact the spaces have made in
the district, RWN Field Officer, Evode Habiyonizeye based in Kabarondo, Kayonza
said the space outreach activities incorporate opinion leaders and community
members in order to sensitize them on GBV as well as get their support in
denouncing it. Subsequently there is overwhelming support from opinion leaders,
a decrease in GBV issues and high awareness levels of legislation on GBV.
According to Immaculate, a Women Space Facilitator at the Kayonza safe space, “extending
our work to opinion leaders and community members has helped to build mutual
respect and trust to the point where our facilitators are even invited to other
community gatherings to speak on the dangers of GBV.”
The Women Safe Spaces therefore do
not merely raise awareness on GBV, they provide a holistic approach to the
various issues faced by women and as a result also create opportunities for
women to learn from each other and improve their livelihoods.
GBV continues to affect women around the world with 1 in every 3 women being subjected to physical or sexual abuse. Several efforts have been made by governments, human rights groups and communities to address GBV. The RWN Women Safe Spaces initiative represents efforts by civil society organisations and the Rwanda government to provide different forms of support for women who experience GBV. The initiative also increases positive engagement with men and communities to build partnerships in the fight against GBV. Therefore the spaces do not only empower women at an individual level but also empower their families and communities. The Women Safe Spaces fulfil Rwanda’s commitment to international instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by promoting gender equality, raising awareness and promoting critical thinking in order to denounce cultural beliefs, social norms and practices that promote and justify GBV. They also compliment local efforts by the Rwandan government such as the Isange One Stop Centres that assist GBV victims with legal and health services. RWN has a total of twenty spaces in the country and continues to expand through building the capacity of women, communities and association members to stand against GBV.
Rwanda
Women's Network (RWN) is one of the four partner institutes of the
African Centers of Excellence (ACE) for Women's Leadership program run
by the Institute of International Education (IIE) , Ethiopia Office.
For more on IIE , ACE or RWN please follow the links below.
