A total of 84 couples who had been living together without legal marriage officially married on September 30, 2026, after experiencing challenges related to property rights and their children’s documentation.
The couples shared their experiences during the closing event of a week dedicated to promoting gender equality and complementarity in families, held in Ngarama Sector, Gatsibo District.
Niyonsaba Clarisse, one of the newly married women, said she had lived with her husband for more than 20 years without legal marriage, a situation she said affected her property rights.
she said: “I have lived with my husband for more than 20 years without being legally married. At first, I thought it did not matter, but when the system of registering property under an individual’s name was introduced, I faced challenges. I would go to the bank to seek a loan, but they would tell me that I could not use the property as collateral because, although I had property acquired together with my husband, I did not have legal rights over it,”
Niyonsaba added that after discussing the matter with her husband, he agreed that they should formalize their union and comply with the law.
she said: “I discussed it with my husband, and he agreed that we should get married. I thank God that we have achieved it today. I am now happy because this will enable me to enjoy all the rights provided for by law,”
Unregistered Marriages Also Affect Children
Ntamwezi Felicien, from Munini Cell, said living with his wife for decades without legal marriage had also created challenges for their children, prompting them to formalize their union despite their advanced age.
he said: “My wife and I have lived together for more than 40 years. Since we had never experienced any problems, we were not concerned about getting married. When our children wanted to study abroad, they told us that among the documents required were documents based on their parents being legally married. They explained it to us, and we realized that it was important for us to get married so that both of us could have our rights and our children could also have their rights,”
Some couples who had experienced conflicts also said lessons provided during the family initiative helped them change their behavior, reconcile and decide to legally register their marriages. Ntabareshya, who was nicknamed “Vangavanga” because of the conflicts he previously caused in his home, said the lessons helped him rebuild his relationship with his wife.
he said: “I used to cause insecurity and conflicts in my home, which led to the breakdown of my family. I was called Vangavanga, but I changed through the lessons provided by the authorities. I reconciled with my wife, with whom we had reached a point where we were constantly hurting each other. We now live together peacefully, which is why we decided to get legally married so that each of us can enjoy our rights,”
ALSO READ: https://agaciropress.com/shema-fabrice-resigns-as-ferwafa-president/
Gender Equality and Family Complementarity
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Mireille Batamuriza, urged family members to focus on making positive contributions to their households rather than engaging in conflicts. “The pride of a man or a woman is what they contribute to their family. Gender equality and complementarity should be properly understood so that couples can work together to develop their families and improve their living conditions.
We highly appreciate those who have decided to comply with the law and get legally married because this will benefit both partners and their children,” she said. Batamuriza emphasized the importance of cooperation between spouses in strengthening families and improving their living conditions.
ALSO READ: https://agaciropress.com/amavubi-could-return-to-fifa-ranking-position-last-reached-in-2017/
Gatsibo to Continue Encouraging Legal Marriage
Gatsibo District Mayor Gasana Richard, who administered the marriage vows, urged the newly married couples to respect their decision and build families founded on peace, love, equality and complementarity.
he said: “The decision you have made today to get legally married is an important one and should be respected. We urge you to continue building families based on peace, love, equality and complementarity so that they can serve as a foundation for your development and that of your children,”
He added that the initiative would continue to educate families that have not registered their marriages about the importance of legal marriage and encourage them to comply with the law.
Gasana said: “This initiative will continue as we educate families that have not yet registered their marriages about the importance of getting legally married and encourage them to comply with the law, because this helps couples and their children enjoy their legal rights,”.
