As Rwanda marks 30 years after liberation, among other remarkable milestones to be celebrated is women's rights activism and gender equality achievements. As of 2023, the World Economic Forum ranks the country as the second most gender equal country in Africa.
The journey to this can be traced after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In a country where women could not own land or open a bank account and be employed without their husband's consent, much has changed.
Certain incidences that minimised the position of women in society before and after the Genocide also included the fact that former Minister for Family and Women's Affairs, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, a convicted genocidaire, personally ordered that Tutsi women be raped and killed during the Genocide.
Today, women are empowered and protected by law. In this Q&A, The New Times' Glory Iribagiza discusses the 30-year journey of Rwanda in gender equality, and the future of the Rwandan woman with the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Valentine Uwamariya.
Excerpts:
What would you say Rwanda's journey to gender equality and inclusion has been like in the last 30 years?
Our journey as a country in the past 30 years in gender equality and equity has been impressive. We start counting this journey from 1994, after the Genocide against the Tutsi. The policies then prioritised uplifting all Rwandans with a focus on the most vulnerable, that were women because those who had liberated the country knew the valuable contribution of women since the struggle, and they decided it was important to include women in the development of our country.
When you look at the school enrolment rate in primary and secondary, boys and girls are equal. In health, we had very high maternal and infant mortality rates. Now, the number has reduced significantly.
ALSO READ: Gender equality: Activists on Rwanda's progress, lingering challenges
We like talking about female representation in the parliament and cabinet, but even in business, the numbers of women are growing. We have many women leading commercial banks and many cooperatives that include many women farmers who export their produce, such as coffee. In the health sector, we find women at all levels starting with community health workers. We are happy for this 30-year journey as a country.
What is the status of gender equality in Rwanda? Are we anywhere close to bridging all gender gaps?
I would not say we are too far from closing the gender gap. But again, we still have a long way to cover the remaining gender gaps. Out of all gender equality and women empowerment enabling factors put in place, Rwanda has recorded incredible achievements in closing gender gaps.
In political representation, women make up 61.3 per cent of the parliament's lower chamber. They also make up 42.4 per cent of the cabinet. In the justice sector, women make 51 per cent of judges.
ALSO READ: At UN, Rwanda champions acceleration of Gender Equality
In district leadership, we still have a gap. Women make 30 per cent of mayors, 15 per cent of vice mayors in charge of economic affairs, and 46.1 per cent of district councils. However, women make 78 per cent of vice mayors in charge of social affairs. For governors and mayor of the City of Kigali, women make 20 per cent.
In the private sector, 38 per cent of cooperatives in Rwanda are led by women, and 51.4 per cent of women do market-oriented agriculture.
What would you say have been the major milestones in gender equality in the past 30 years?
A woman was given the right to property. Some people were even sad that "umutware" (chief, lord) was removed from the law, but in a marriage, both husband and wife lead the household together. Having the right to property comes with responsibility. If we are both leading our household, we both have to provide. This has encouraged women to work without necessarily waiting for their husbands to provide.
ALSO READ: Varsities urged to promote gender equality
Other laws that were revised include the one on inheritance. A girl could be given a small garden because she was troubled (indushyi) but she was not counted among heirs. This has increased the number of women who have rights on the land. Statistics show that more women own land than men in Rwanda. The biggest land is co-owned, but then women come next on land ownership.
In the past, gender-based violence was rampant. Not to say that men were not also victims of this violence, but the numbers of women were high. Having the law fighting and punishing gender-based violence is also a milestone.
When you follow the news today, some of the women interviewed say they are happy to have built their homes, to be able to dress their children, to pay for health insurance, and to send children to school. This sends a message that the women understood their role rather than just being provided for.
What are the most contributing factors to achieving what Rwanda has so far?
The first is the political will which is very clear to everyone. It started from the leadership of our country, spearheaded by President Paul Kagame. He is exemplary to all Rwandans, but especially for women because he inspired them to be brave. This was followed by different policies and laws. We can even start from the 2003 constitution that determined the electoral quota for women in decision-making positions. This happened alongside other policies and institutional frameworks, such as the national gender policy, and more, including the fact that there is a ministry in charge.
ALSO READ: Roses are red, violets are blue, women need equality
For the policies to be implemented, it was a partnership between different stakeholders and acknowledging what the country was required in the global community. Rwanda ratified different conventions, including the Beijing Declaration.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
What do the next 30 years look like for gender equality in Rwanda?
The woman in the next 30 years, I see her aligned with the country's vision. When you see the vision of 2050, we are all required to work hard. We want our country to be one of the developed countries. The number of women in the country is more than half of the population, and this means the country cannot develop if this number is excluded.
I talked about how the woman today understood her role in the development of their home. The woman in 2050 and 30 years from now, is a woman who contributes beyond her household, to the development of the country. The country needs to see her among those who construct roads, those who construct airports. The country needs them in advanced medicine so that the number of people who travel abroad to have access to it reduces.
The country needs her to have advanced technology literacy because today we are talking about AI and we want to see her there. We want to see women who occupy all political positions at all levels. In short, she is a woman who develops the country to the desired level.
This will require education. We already have girls in primary and secondary education, but those in universities should increase much. They should also study the things they "fear". It has been very evident that they can perform well in science, medicine, technology, vocations, and engineering. They should study these, and the country will empower them to do so. In 30 years, the invaluable contribution of women should multiply twice or thrice.
