Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Jeannette Bayisenge has urged families to avoid conflict and fight against vices such as polygamy for the safety of households and development.

Minister Bayisenge highlighted this during the official opening of a national awareness campaign 'Safe and Resilient Family' that was launched on May 17.

The launch was part of an event that was organised in celebration of International Day of Families.

Celebrated on May 15 every year, the day serves as an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families.

Speaking at the opening of the event in Musasa sector, Rutsiro District, Western Province, Minister Bayisenge requested parents to encourage harmony for the safety of and development of their families.

"You need to avoid polygamy, family conflicts and drunkenness. Let us fight to have safe families. As long as there are conflicts in families, national development is hardly reachable," she said.

"If families are not safe, there will be no national development. Let us think about all the challenges and how we can get them addressed for the sake of the development of our families and nation," She said.

She emphasised how vices such as polygamy lead to numerous challenges in families-family issues which result in stunting, high birth rate among others.

"When all of this happens, we see children on streets, early pregnancies as a result of lack of safety at home," she noted.

Brigitte Ingabire, founder of Tubibe Amahoro, a local non-government organisation promoting peace building and working to help the district address family conflicts, said they are still facing challenges when it comes to family conflicts.

Jean Claude Niyobuhunguro, a local resident of the area shared that there is need for more awareness to eradicate such poor mind-sets seen in certain families.