The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Consolée Uwimana, has condemned a cultural practice in Nyamasheke District where young men are reportedly required to marry only girls who own a bull. She also reassured young men who fear marriage due to the inability to afford a bride price.
Minister Uwimana made the remarks on October 2, 2025, in Ruharambuga Sector, Nyamasheke District, during the closing ceremony of Family Week in the Western Province, held under the theme “Building a Resilient and Safe Family.”
She revealed that in some communities, men avoid getting married legally because of financial constraints, including the inability to pay bride price or afford wedding expenses.
“I would like to remind you that the law governing persons and families, enacted in 2024, allows couples in love to legally marry even if the man has not paid bride price,” said Minister Uwimana. “I also urge those planning to get married to take enough time to understand each other, rather than focusing only on hosting glamorous ceremonies.”
“A Woman Is Not Property!”
Minister Uwimana criticized the custom in Nyamasheke that demands girls to possess a bull before getting married or to go to their in-laws’ home and slaughter nine roosters for them as a condition of marriage. She emphasized that such practices violate human rights and are not part of authentic Rwandan culture.
“We must continue educating people about their rights — both men and women,” she said. “Some of these practices amount to treating a woman as property, which is unacceptable. A woman cannot be bought or owned; that is not Rwandan culture. We are actively working to eliminate such customs in the pursuit of gender equality and mutual respect.”
Promoting Family Values and Equality
The Family Week activities in the Western Province included campaigns against child abuse, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, and gender-based violence. Authorities also promoted legal marriage registration and family education programs.
By the end of the week, 91 couples who had been cohabiting without legal recognition officially registered their marriages before civil authorities, marking another step toward strengthening family structures and equality in Rwandan society.
Author: Justinmind HARERIMANA
