MUYINGA October 18th (ABP) – The International Day of Rural Women was celebrated in Muyinga (northeastern Burundi) on Monday under the theme: “Rural women at the heart of the fight against poverty and hunger”, on the spot check by ABP has revealed.
Unlike the old habits of gathering a crowd to be addressed at the stadium, the day was celebrated in a room as a participatory workshop. In turn, rural women: farmers, traders, talked about their success but also failures.
Those who plow the land and reunited in agricultural associations or production cooperatives highlighted in particular the lack of loan, the climate change, the lack of market flow, lack of bank guarantee.
Despite all these problems facing rural women, some are starting to emerge from this mire (undesirable situation). In Bubanza, Cankuzo, Muyinga,…women ensured the step already taken thanks to the teachings received from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Women from Bubanza today manage to keep tomatoes, oranges, watermelon for a month, said Ms. Gloriose Mureranyana.They asked the State to facilitate their access to bank loans and to make every effort to ensure that rural women have the right to land ownership, as is the case for householders. The land certificate also mentions the name of the wife and not only that of the husband,” they suggested.
On the major challenges facing rural women, the various public service representatives and stakeholders who support rural women working in associations provided advice on how to find solutions.
The Minister for Human Rights, Social Protection and Gender, Mr. Martin Nivyabandi, said the government will do everything to help the rural women.
Regarding the recent decision taken by the National Security Council suspending non-governmental organizations and some of which supported these women, Mr. Nivyabandi said that the Government does not intend to suppress these NGOs but rather to call on them to comply with the law.