A five-year report from the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), covering up to 2022, highlights significant achievements in implementing gender equality across public and private sectors, though challenges remain.
Among the milestones are regular gender accountability reports, the establishment of Gender Accountability Day (GAD) at district level, and the creation of a gender equality certification standard, RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Seal.
To date, 25 institutions have earned the seal for implementing gender-responsive practices.
{{Institutional progress}}
Several institutions have been recognized for exemplary practices. At the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), women in leadership roles have increased from 20% to 50%, including technical departments.
The bank also grants an additional three months of remote work for breastfeeding mothers and four days of leave for new fathers.
At Inkomoko, female employees receive six months of maternity leave while men get two weeks of paternity leave.
The Rwanda Energy Group (REG) revised leadership eligibility requirements from 15 to 10 years of experience to encourage more women to apply for top positions, raising female representation in senior management to 40%, compared to zero in 2019.
REG has also set up breastfeeding rooms, childcare spaces, and flexible work arrangements. Women in technical roles now make up 32% of its workforce.
Cement manufacturer CIMERWA has helped women entrepreneurs expand their businesses, increasing monthly cement truck sales from half a truck to about 30 trucks per individual.
Nationally, women now hold 63.75% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 53.8% in the Senate, well above the constitutional threshold of 30%.
To support data-driven monitoring, the Gender Management Information System (GMIS) was launched to collect and analyze gender-related data and measure accountability across institutions.
Rwanda also continues to strengthen services like Isange One Stop Centers (IOSCs) for gender-based violence survivors, ensuring consistent funding for legal aid, health services, and psychosocial support.
{{Frw 11.5 billion plan to deepen equality by 2029}}
The Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) has unveiled a five-year plan, running from 2024 to 2029, worth over Frw 11.5 billion, aimed at deepening gender equality across public, private, and civil society sectors.
The budget will be mobilized through partners including civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector.
Under this plan, Frw 150 million will be used to strengthen the monitoring of gender mainstreaming in national laws, plans, and employment programs, while Frw 100 million will go toward assessing gender inclusion in climate resilience initiatives.
Another Frw 100 million is set aside to evaluate compliance with gender principles in district and sector development plans.
To promote accountability and gender-responsive planning, Frw 300 million will support the advancement of Gender Responsive Budgeting and its alignment with district performance contracts.
In addition, Frw 400 million will fund advocacy and audits on gender integration within public and private institutions, while Frw 500 million will be directed toward implementing gender equity programs and nationwide awareness campaigns.
The plan also allocates Frw 200 million for monitoring the rollout of the Gender Equality Seal (RS 560:2023) certification and another Frw 500 million to mark Gender Equality Day across government institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations.
The plan also allocates Frw 200 million for monitoring gender efforts at family level, Frw 300 million for expanding Gender-Responsive Villages across districts, and additional funds to evaluate community initiatives such as Inshuti z’Umuryango (community family volunteers) and community health workers.
{{Addressing unpaid care work and workplace harassment}}
The GMO budget includes Frw 300 million for advocacy and programs addressing unpaid care work, a challenge highlighted by IPAR Rwanda research showing that women work an average of 75.6 hours per week compared to 68.4 for men, with 35% of women’s work hours being unpaid compared to 15% for men.
To tackle sexual harassment at workplaces and gender-based violence, Frw 600 million will fund monitoring of government and private sector compliance, while Frw 1.4 billion will support nationwide efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including teenage pregnancy prevention and survivor rehabilitation.
A further Frw 490 million will monitor Rwanda’s adherence to regional and international gender equality commitments, and Frw 200 million will strengthen civil society and faith-based organizations’ capacity to address gender-based violence.
Finally, Frw 1 billion is set aside to transform GMO into a center of excellence for gender research and knowledge management in Rwanda.
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