Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Consolée Uwimana, has called on couples to prioritize legal marriage over cohabitation, stressing that excuses such as poverty or “testing” a partner are weakening family structures and exposing children to neglect.
Speaking on October 2, 2025, at the closing ceremony of Family Week in Nyamasheke District, Western Province, Uwimana dismissed claims from some men that financial constraints or doubts about a woman’s character justify delaying official marriage.
“Marriage before the law is a shield for your family and for the generations that come after you. When couples delay or avoid this step, they risk leaving their partners and children without legal protection or access to essential state services,” Uwimana said.
The week-long campaign, held under the theme “Building a Resilient and Safe Family,” featured community services including health screenings, nutrition support for children, reception of gender-based violence cases, and mass weddings. Twenty-two couples who had been cohabiting in Ruharambuga Sector were officially married during the event.
Uwimana said Family Week is designed to tackle persistent social challenges such as domestic conflicts, child malnutrition, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, drug abuse, and unregistered unions.
She emphasized that Rwanda’s 2024 Family Law allows couples to marry even when a bride price has not been paid, countering the belief that poverty should be a barrier. “The issue is not whether you can afford a lavish celebration. The real investment is in building a stable home where children are raised responsibly,” she said.
Uwimana further cautioned against what some men describe as “trial marriages,” where they live with women before deciding whether to formalize the union. “Some told me they want to ‘test’ women first, but this often leads to children born into unstable situations, sometimes abandoned. That is not how we build resilient families,” she warned.
The Minister congratulated the couples who legalized their marriages during the ceremony, describing their decision as “a strong step toward protecting love, dignity, and the future of Rwanda’s families.”
