Men in Rusizi District have reported to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) that they are being abused but are afraid to file complaints because complaints of abuse made by women are given attention, whereas when a man reports being abused by his wife, it is often ignored.
This came up during an awareness campaign by RIB aimed at encouraging citizens to participate in preventing gender-based violence and crimes targeting youth, in Muganza Sector on August 26, 2024.
In the Bugarama plain, which is shared by Bugarama, Gikundamvura, Nyakabuye, and Muganza sectors, gender-based violence is worse, exacerbated by people coming from Nyamasheke and Nyamagabe districts seeking employment, as this plain is very fertile.
Muhashyi John, from Sanganiro Village, Gakoni Cell, Muganza Sector, Rusizi District, said that when a man reports a problem, it is often ignored, whereas when a woman claims her husband abused her, the man is immediately arrested.
He said, ”Nowadays, if a man has a dispute with his wife, she can immediately tell him, ‘I’ll call RIB and have them deal with you.’ Many households are breaking up because women use RIB to get their husbands arrested. We men are forced to endure this situation to survive.”
Muhashyi mentioned that there was a recent case where a neighbor’s wife poured hot water on her husband, causing him severe burns. When the husband filed a complaint, the wife was immediately released and sent home.
In this area, there was also a case where a woman recently struck her husband on the head with an iron, causing a serious injury. When the husband reported the incident to the authorities, the woman was released and went home.
He notes that such incidents lead men to flee when they are abused because their complaints are not taken seriously.
He said, ”I know of four men in this Gakoni area who have fled to ‘ghettos’ to escape the abuse they suffered from their wives.”
RIB stated that gender-based violence refers to any harmful act perpetrated by one person against another based on their gender.
Jean Claude Ntirenganya, an official in the RIB’s crime prevention department, reassured men that all complaints of abuse are received and valued by RIB, whether they come from men or women.
He said, ”We have examples of women being arrested for abusing their husbands.”
The Executive Secretary of Muganza Sector, Rwango Jean Dieum, mentioned that RIB should not be feared by the public because it assists the authorities in resolving issues.
He said, ”RIB acts based on evidence. When a case reaches the justice system, it relies on evidence; if evidence is lacking, no one can be arrested, and without evidence, there is no case.”
Executive Secretary Rwango urged any man who feels he has been abused by his wife to approach the authorities and provide evidence, as the law against gender-based violence applies to both men and women.
