News

Rubavu dialogue on women involved in cross border trade

> 24 June 2014

On Friday 23rd May 2014, Rubavu PPD organized a dialogue on the issue regarding women involved in cross border trade. The dialogue was held after a pre dialogue conducted on the 16th April 2014. During this pre meeting, all participants stated that their business is totally illegal in a sense that all those women are not registered, their business is not organized, they don’t pay any tax and they do business on their own risks. The dialogue was attended by 12 participants including 8 women representatives, the district cooperatives officer and 3 champions. the dialogue ended up with following key resolution: the district will support identified women in forming the legal and recognized cooperative, while those women will mobilize their colleagues on the interest of operating through a formal cooperative. The district will also provide them with a place where they can establish their stores from which they will take goods to be sold in small shops that will be opened in Goma by their cooperative. This mechanism was highly appreciated by these women who openly declared that it stops the culture of being informed of decisions taken without their involvement.
By Emmanuel Murangwa