Category Archives: The New Times

Shallon Mwiza

Wednesday, October 01, 2025

Tanga Community is addressing barriers that block adolescents, women and girls with disabilities, female sex workers and LGBTQIA communities from accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, calling for urgent reforms in policies, access to information, healthcare delivery, and social awareness.

The study, conducted by Tanga Community, an initiative dedicated to advancing the rights of diverse women, girls, and young people, recognizes Rwanda’s progress in expanding healthcare but warns that persistent legal, cultural, and structural barriers continue to deny the country’s most vulnerable populations access to information essential services in relation to sexual and reproductive health.

Samira Isimbi

Wednesday, June 04, 2025

A few weeks ago, an article showcasing the report of Dr. Mutiyimana Celestin was published in The New Times. The headline read, “Rwandan Psychologist Discovers New Stress Disorder Affecting Married Women.” It quickly made the rounds, even appearing in a feminist group I’m part of. Yet, no meaningful conversation emerged from it.

My mind, with its peculiar tendency to retain and resurface seemingly trivial details, recalled the article while I was showering. As I reflected on the title, I began asking questions: What about their spouses? Are these women in unreciprocated relationships? Then my feminist lens reminded me; these women live in a patriarchal society where men often benefit disproportionately from marriage.

However, what about single mothers? Will they face the same condition? And teen mothers? Sex workers? What about other marginalized women? How is a woman’s expectancy of basic human decency from her partner a diagnosis?

Finding no immediate answers, I decided to delve deeper into the report. Dr. Mutiyimana’s work still lacks important parts of the research to be complete, but it still sparked critiques and reflections I feel compelled to share.

Patrick Nzabonimpa

Monday, April 03, 2023

In the rural areas of developing countries like Rwanda, women often face unique challenges that hinder their economic and social empowerment. However, technology has emerged as a powerful tool for transforming their lives, despite some challenges that still arise.

Rita Nishimwe, a young girl from Karongi district’s Rubengera Sector, is one example.

Despite facing challenges such as limited opportunities and lack of access to resources, Nishimwe found a way to create a job for herself by becoming an MTN agent, thanks to a simple mobile phone, she now facilitates transactions for different people and earns a monthly salary…

Emmanuel Nkangura

Thursday, March 31, 2023

Grace Muhawenimana, 29, could have never built her three-bedroom house if it was not for an Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) operating from a facility opposite to the market where she works.

Of course, she can’t know what would have happened otherwise, because it could have also meant shutting her business to take care of her child, a three year-old who now goes to the ECD in Kigabiro Sector, Rwamagana District, where the market is also located.

Muhawenimana, who sells cassava flour at the market, also said that carrying her baby to work could have also been an option to stay in business, but it happened with her first born who is now in primary school, and it didn’t go very well for her.

Patrick Nzabonimpa

Thursday, March 30, 2023

In a country where cricket is increasingly gaining admiration despite being one of the newest in Rwanda, 19-year-old Henriette Ishimwe is defying the odds and making a name for herself in the game with her impressive skills and passion for the sport.

Growing up, Ishimwe didn’t envision herself playing cricket, a sport that was relatively unknown in Rwanda. However, at the age of 13, she started playing with other children at Ndera Primary School and found herself enjoying the game.

She said her friends played a significant role in influencing her decision to follow cricket until she found herself loving the game which she never dreamed of playing. Volleyball was her first choice sport during her early high school days.

Glory Iribagiza

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Eugenie Kanzayire, 35, has been in the business of labia elongation and sex counselling for the last 10 years.

Unlike others who use traditional and social media platforms to advertise their work, Kanzayire has a permanent address in CHIC, one of Kigali’s busiest commercial buildings.

Her place of business is unique.

While all the other businesses on her floor use their windows to advertise their work, at ‘Urubohero’, as her business is called, the windows are draped in heavy brown curtains and the doors are firmly shut to accord her clients some privacy.

Clients stroll in and out on appointment, or simply knock on the door to gain access. Inside are a couple of cabinets, boxes of latex gloves, an electric water kettle, bottled green clay, and solid bentonite clay that looks like a sweet potatoes.

Hudson Kuteesa

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Everyone who lives in and around Ntarama Sector, Bugesera District is aware that every Wednesday is market day. By 10 am, the place is already buzzing with traders from various sectors of the district who are there to sell their merchandise – mostly agricultural produce.

Under the scorching sun, they lay their goods down on small canvasses and start receiving customers. Pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, pineapples and all kinds of vegetables and fruits are on display.

The produce is harvested from different villages of Bugesera a semi-arid region, and transported on bicycles to the market. Unique to this region, a fairly good number of the people who ferry the produce on bicycles to the market, are women.

Although it is quite known that women can ride bicycles, one will rarely catch such a glimpse in other parts Rwanda. This explains the popularity around Bugesera women and their bicycles.

Nasra Bishumba

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

When popular gender activist Juliette Karitanya wrote a tweet suggesting that Rwandan men need to wear deodorant more often, she did not anticipate the backlash that would follow.

This single tweet, written back in October 2019, would go on to completely change how she interacts online. At first, Karitanyi, also a feminist, says that the comments were general but soon after that, they escalated into personal attacks on her looks, her family, and her sex life among others. “It wasn’t supposed to be serious.

I thought that maybe we would agree to disagree but soon enough, I realised that this tweet had been taken personally by many people. The comments were cruel. They wanted me to back off, but I was determined not to be pushed around by social media bullies,” she says.

Ines Rutayisire Umurerwa

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Being the only girl in a class of 44 boys has never discouraged Julienne Umuhoza. A student at IPRC – Huye campus, in the department of civil engineering (specialising in content surveying), Umuhoza always dreamed of becoming an engineer, therefore, when she was done with high school, she was determined to pursue her dream.

“In high school my major was construction, but it was tough because not many people understood how a girl could pick an interest in construction,” she says. “We were very few girls in the class and the boys doubted us. When I joined university I was the only girl and people kept doubting me, but my determination was even stronger.”

In the rural areas of developing countries like Rwanda, women often face unique challenges that hinder their economic and social empowerment. However, technology has emerged as a powerful tool for transforming their lives, despite some challenges that still arise.

Moise M. Bahati

Monday, March 27, 2023

In 2018, Claudine Uwitije signed up for massage therapy training by an organisation called Seeing Hands Rwanda, which seeks to address social and economic issues like unemployment among visually impaired people.

Now, Uwitije, a massage therapist and trainer, has found a source of regular income, enabling her to lead a more independent life. 

“Living in Kigali would have been very hard for me if I didn’t have this job as a massage therapist,” she said.

“There’s still the perception that people with disabilities cannot live without help. But I do most of the activities myself, including commuting to work.

“Seeing Hands has given us opportunities which we could never have found elsewhere, and our self-esteem got a boost,” said Uwitije. “Certainly, more people with disabilities need information and networks to be able to live the lives they deserve.”