The Government of Rwanda (GOR) has made great strides in developing policies and strategies to support women’s empowerment and the advancement of gender equality, and numerous mechanisms have been instituted to support their implementation. Nevertheless, Rwandan women continue to face equality challenges. Women in positions of authority tend to carry less influence than their male counterparts. Further, while two-thirds of parliamentarians in Rwanda are women, a large share of women in Rwanda experience intimate partner violence (56 percent). The existing inequalities and persistent lack of voice and agency for Rwandan women as members of society require consistent and long-term emphasis and action, particularly in civil society, to bring about change.

 

This analysis identified gender issues that pose barriers to specific civil society and civic engagement outcomes, as well as opportunities to empower women and advance gender equality through broader democracy and governance activities.