A new market that seeks to promote a safe and better working place for women has been launched in Kimisagara sector, Nyarugenge District in the City of Kigali to accommodate former Nyarugenge Street vendors.
This Mini-market will help reduce street hawking by women besides enabling the women to earn more money from their businesses as they will be working from an organised place.
The facility was funded by UN Women, through National Employment Program, while Nyarugenge District contributed Rwf20 million, and the city authority donated the land for the project.
The mini-market, which has a breast-feeding area, where mothers will utilize to breast-feed their children without interrupting their businesses.
Recently in the ceremony of launching this Mini-market, Fatou Aminata Lo, the UN Women deputy representative, said the initiative is part of a programme that seeks to economically empower women at risk of sexual harassment and other forms of violence in urban public places.
So far, women and girls from 20 cities around the world, including Kigali, have benefitted from the project, she said. She added that, in Rwanda, the programme has focused on increasing public awareness on issues of sexual harassment and other forms of violence in public spaces.
Many former street vendors in the market who were interviewed by MIFOTRA Staff, said the facility will save them from walking city streets looking for customers and hence boost their businesses.