The fact that all Members of Parliament act on behalf of all Rwandans doesn’t please women especially rural women. The reason is that those 24 MPs representing women in parliament (30%) of 80 seats are supposed to defend interests of women first in all laws to be voted.
However, some women assume that this is not the case. Marie Uwingabire, a woman from Kayonza District of Eastern Province, says “when those women reach the parliament they don’t come back to consult us as women before they vote laws. It is surprising while we are the ones who voted them!”
Scovia Umutesi, a journalist and owner of an online media focusing on women issues, assumes that it is time for women in parliament to focus on the quality of laws in the interest of women.
“The ticket which brought those in parliament is being a woman. They have to make sure that women’s voice is considered in all laws,” she says.
The immediate former parliament had more than 60% of women, the first in the world with many women according to the report of Inter-parliamentary Union of June 2018.
Some laws voted by then parliament pleased women. Such are land law and family law that give both wife and husband the right to lead the household, among other provisions promoting women.
More than figures
Umutesi urges female MPs to not focus only on laws that favor women but to know the wishes of this category in all laws voted in parliament.
According to lawyer Jean Paul Ibambe, representing interests of all Rwandans does not prevent female MPs to advocate for women in all laws voted.
He advises that to represent women properly, the new women parliamentarians should increase consultative meetings with women especially in remote areas. They might also put efforts in explaining to women why laws were voted to help them know what MPs do on behalf of them.
“Women in parliament should even assess how laws voted are being implemented. If they affect women negatively, they should recommend for improvement or amendments,” says Ibambe.
In the chamber of deputies of Rwanda Parliament, women, people with disabilities and youth are also represented.
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