The call was addressed to the Minister of Culture and Sports, Espérance Nyirasafari, Minister for Gender and Family Promotion Solina Nyirahabimana, the State Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Evode Uwizeyimana and the Minister of State in charge of Social Affairs and Social Protection, Alvera Mukabaramba during a Family Promotion stakeholders’ seminar at the Parliament, Thursday where they discussed issues that pose a threat to the Rwandan society and accelerating development based on the principles of a secure family.
Some of the major challenges facing the Rwandan family unit that were highlighted include; domestic violence, divorce, teenage pregnancies, promiscuity, and drug abuse, among others.
MP Pie Nizeyimana said that male prostitutes are a silent problem that is growing and pose a real threat to the family unit.
“Promiscuity is increasingly becoming common to the extent of destroying families. Women can get involved in this behavior, ‘kwipfubuza’, loosely paraphrased as an act of looking for another sex partner because yours does not satisfy you (participants burst in laughter). It’s fun, but it’s a problem,” he said.
He said this behavior emerged recently but is taking on a new face and needs to be urgently addressed.
“What are we going to do stop this behavior and eradicate it?”, he wondered adding that it will constitute a threat to the family in the future.
Nizeyimana further said that another social challenge that needs to be addressed is bleaching which he said damages skin and has negative consequences to the society.
“I wonder whether the law should not punish someone caught with bleaching lotions in the same it does to one with drugs,” he said.
Minister Uwizeyimana said that it is not easy to identify the male sex workers because they act clandestinely.
He added that in discussing promiscuity, people should look at all sides since it emanates mostly from relationships especially when it happens between married individuals.
He cited an example whereby a husband is always busy with work, and when they come back home, they find that their wife has already fallen asleep. He said this is a challenge because they cannot fulfill conjugal responsibilities.
“When a woman needs but cannot find you, you just remain her husband in papers without conjugal obligations,” he said.
Article 136 on adultery and its punishment, stipulates that anyone who has sex with someone else other than their spouse has committed a crime.
When convicted by the court, they are sentenced to a term not less than six months but not exceeding one year.
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