{Residents of Kirehe district have been called upon to be a voice against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and break silence about the injustices they face as a means to combat the vice affecting households.}
The wake-up call was made in Nasho Sector during a community awareness campaign which is line with the anti-GBV month. The meeting mainly focused on fighting incidences of domestic and gender violence, and child abuse.
The District Community Liaison Officer of Kirehe, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Gahigi Harelimana urged the over 300 residents who turned up, to play a primary role in the fight against GBV by either informing Police and other concerned authorities on any incidents and owning the awareness programmes against GBV.
“Gender-based violence can be a serious security threat, if not addressed. It is an act of human rights violation which should be fought collectively,” Harelimana said, calling on residents to”speak out freely on GBV.”
“In the past, some residents could not speak out their minds on GBV; this was a serious issue that gave room for perpetrators to roam freely in communities. The trend has however changed because some of you have become active agents of community policing. This partnership should be enhanced to narrow gaps that still exist.”
He highlighted narcotic drugs like cannabis and illicit brew as other crimes that also ignite domestic violence and child abuse.
Damien Ntambara, one of the residents said the meeting enlightened him on the issue of GBV, and vowed to partner with security organs in all initiatives to prevent the scourge and other crimes.
Saverine Nikuze, another resident thanked RNP for bringing them such messages adding that the more information they get the more they understand the depth of the problem, and the more they understand their role in fighting such crimes. “So, we commit to help police in this necessary fight against GBV.”
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