Diane Shima Rwigara, Rwanda's first female Separate presidential hopeful has been disqualified by the country's Electoral Commission along with two other aspirants. The National Electoral Commission said Ms Rwigara had not fulfilled requirements like amassing enough encouraging signatures for her presidential bid.
Also disqualified from the elections that incumbent President Paul Kagame is expected to win.

Diane Rwigara took a danger for every girl in Rwanda and Africa. She had been victimised for taking a stand and now her Presidential dreams are over but the activist lives on.



Flouted rules or misogyny?

Ms Rwigara was the first presidential hopeful in a country that is nonetheless known for its progress in issues of gender equality. The country is ranked fifth in the world on gender parity metrics and yet Rwigara was the first female candidate in the country.

According to the World Economic Forum, “At 86%, Rwanda has one of the highest rates of female labour force participation in the world. In the US, for example, that figure stands at 56%, and has been declining since the turn of the millennium.”

Rwanda has also led the whole world in female representation in politics for over a decade and as of now, 61.3% of the parliamentarians are female. It is therefore unfair to claim that patriarchy and misogyny are the reasons Rwigara was not confirmed. For an Independent candidate to be confirmed, there was need to have at least 12 signatures from Rwanda’s 30 districts which Rwigara failed to get along with two men.

Though the disqualification may not have been a result of inequality per se, it is a fact that Rwigara was greeted by chauvinistic vilification just days after announcing her candidacy. Africa News reported in May that social media was awash with nude pictures believed to be Rwigara’s.

Rather than attacking Her policies, opponents attacked her sexuality.She had just publicly declared a political warfare against the ruling party asserting, "Everybody is scared to express themselves since they're too fearful of the ruling party.

It boggles the mind the only retaliation that Competitions could think of was sexually repressive. Rwigara was therefore indeed a victim of misogyny at some point but her disqualification had little to do this. Rwigara is thought to have been disqualified for submitting signatures of some individuals who had been dead and many others who belonged to a rival political party. However, she maintained her fans were intimidated by the ruling party which is famous to be repressive. She has been a vocal critic of Kagame's government that has been blamed for political assassinations and disappearances in the nation. Kagame was in power for 23 years which makes him among the very ten longest serving presidents in Africa.

This is a terrible habit throughout the continent. Party had failed to tackle poverty in the previous 23 years and certainly could Not take action in the next several years. This is a bold woman whose crusade has Been cut brief. Presidential hopeful, she explained. .

“I understand what it’s like to be a victim, how the government reduces you to silence. The question becomes either choose to live like a robot, being told what to say and what to do, or you take risks.”


Source: http://aderonkebamidele.com/either-s3xual-scandal-mere-misogyny-rwandan-diane-rwigara-dropped-nec-see/