Gisagara: lessons on democracy, gender become popular

Gisagara residents have confessed that cooperatives teach them about democracy, human rights and gender equality   in Rwandan society.

Members of various cooperatives that operate in Gisagara district confirm that because they work towards development, they do not choose leaders basing on gender but vote leaders that will lead them to achieve their goals.

However, it is therefore not surprising that most of these cooperatives are led by women in spite the fact that there are men in these cooperatives.

Vincent Sewabo, district worker with cooperatives in his mandate explains that the aim of cooperatives is not only to look for money but it’s a school where members learn about democracy and gender equality.

“All members in the cooperative have equal rights,” Sewabo adds.

He gave an example of CODAS cooperative in Save sector which has a female leader Marie Francoise DUSABE. CODAS cooperative members say that they are happy with their leader and they voted her freely.

Pascal MUKURARINDA, a resident from Mukindo sector discloses that before joining the cooperative, he used to under look the ideas raised by women but now he is convinced that some women have better ideas than some men.

Joining the cooperative made me taste the importance of choosing your own leaders and having the freedom of speech.