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The role of women in their households significantly improved their mindset
Uwajeneza Donatha
Mar 11, 2025 - 20:28
Some women have boldly stated that the way they have taken on greater responsibilities in their households has helped them expand their thinking marching the modern times. This was announced when Rwanda made significant progress in advancing women, as they are now engaged in jobs that were traditionally reserved for men.
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Fifty years have passed, a long but significant journey for women. Many agree that they have been able to break free and now do things that were once considered impossible. This includes playing a key role in supporting their households and contributing to the development of the country despite being held back by the belief that such tasks were reserved for men.
Today, the mindset has changed as development is in the hands of both women and men. This undermines various proverbs that once suggested that "a hen cannot keep a rooster", "a woman dances without jumping", or "if you mention a woman, you mention a knife", among others, which belittled the capabilities of women.
For example, Mbarushimana Fatuma is a woman who decided to overcome her fears and started a business importing goods from abroad. She often thought such businesses were for men.
Speaking to Isango Star, she said: "I am a 34-year-old woman, married with two children. I am a businesswoman. I am a woman who dared to take action because before, we didn’t think a woman could work or have goals she could achieve, but I tried. I started with fear, but later, I realized I was capable. I used to think trading wasn’t for women, especially seeing a woman travel abroad for business, spending 2 or 3 days away from her children and husband… so it started with my husband encouraging me. He said, 'How would you survive if you weren’t here tomorrow?' I gained confidence and started selling here in the country."
She mentions that one of the challenges she faced was the belief that no woman could request a passport without her husband's approval.
She said: "But I came to realize that on this journey, we are all equal, especially because we all strive for development. Men approached me and asked, and I told them, 'In our country, Rwanda, aside from me gaining confidence, our government also encouraged us.'"
"The first time I traveled, I hid my money so no one would see me as a woman and try to take it. But after getting used to it, no one took my money. Where my husband keeps his money is where I also keep mine, and I save more than he does. I haven’t ventured into big investments, but where I am now, I am grateful, especially to my husband for supporting me. I travel without worry; he believes in me, and I believe in myself too."
In her dreams, Fatuma says she will fulfill them because of good leadership and the value the country places on women.
She said: "I have progressed in business, and what motivates me is to first advance tangibly without relying on my husband. I can say, 'I have my property,' and I can also say, 'I left him here and went to school to see if I could finish my studies successfully.'"
Rwanda is a country with a global commitment to having a significant number of women in the legislature, ranking second in Africa on the most recent list from the World Economic Forum. These are some of the reasons Rwanda has secured the fifth position worldwide in terms of striving for women's development. This progress reflects the steps the country has made in providing women with equal opportunities to those of men.
By: UWAJENEZA Donatha; Author: Emillienne KAYITESI
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