Women Launch Grassroots Drive to Fight Family Conflicts, Teen Pregnancies

The initiative, known as “Tuzitire tutaronerwa,” loosely translated as “Let’s fence before we lose,” was unveiled during the National Women’s Council general assembly held this week in Karongi District.

Organizers said the program seeks to promote dialogue within households, mentor children from an early age, and encourage responsible behavior among young people.

“We have seen many cases of teenage pregnancies and families breaking apart due to conflicts,” one participant told state broadcaster RBA. “After analyzing the situation, we realized that these problems had gone beyond the limit, and that’s when we decided to launch this initiative.”

Western Province Governor Jean Bosco Ntibitura said the women’s commitment to strengthening family welfare and community development would yield tangible results if fully implemented.

“What we ask of women, based on the goals they have set, is to put their commitments into action because their contribution is very significant,” Ntibitura said.

Under the program, women pledged to help at least two households per village lift themselves out of poverty, an effort expected to reach 7,300 households across the province. They also committed to rescuing 12,000 children from malnutrition and reconciling about 3,700 families facing disputes.

The assembly emphasized the role of women in Rwanda’s national development plan, which aims to transform the country into a high-income economy by 2050.