Recently, Rwanda graduated its second female neurosurgeon. Dr. Sylvie Inyange completed the entirety of her neurosurgical training in Rwanda. This landmark event is somewhat dampened by the fact that she was the only woman in her cohort, and there are no female physicians currently training in Rwanda’s neurosurgery program. As Rwanda upskills medical capacity through education, we need to ensure that the process is equitable between genders, avoiding that women like Dr. Inyange are not the exception but the standard.

Dr. Inyange’s training and graduation are a testament to our leadership’s commitment to gender equity but we must do more. First, we must share Dr. Inyange’s story to inspire the next generation of female surgeons to follow their dreams without leaving home. Next, sharing Dr. Inyange’s story will help change the narrative and public perception of women’s role in higher education.

Education is key to success, but for centuries, women have been denied access to education. Until the beginning of the last century, it was thought that women were not interested in education. This misconception later evolved into the idea that women were not capable of pursuing higher education. As a result, women were educated in segregated settings and with separate curricula. A century later, barriers to higher education have been eliminated in Rwanda. This started with the establishment of the 9-year basic education and later with the 12-year basic education program. The results are evident as women constitute the majority of leadership positions in the country. For example, 61.3% of parliamentary seats in Rwanda are held by women. This is further supported by the Gender Parity Index for ages 3-18, which is over 100, indicating that girls are more likely to attend school than boys. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement.

In Rwanda, 23 per cent of girls never attended school compared to 21 per cent for males, and this disparity is reflected at the tertiary level with a greater proportion of males attending university (3.8 per cent vs. 2.8 per cent). Women also face systemic barriers in professional settings including lack of mentorship, family responsibilities, unfavorable work conditions during pregnancy, and societal norms.

Dr. Inyange’s graduation as the second female neurosurgeon proves that surgery is not immune to these challenges. This message was echoed by Prof. Salome Maswime, head of global surgery at the University of Cape Town, during the recent College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) panel on Women in Surgery Africa. Prof. Mwasime summed it up as "every time I wanted to do anything in life, I was told that it is impossible, you are a girl, a mother or a wife you cannot do that, You cannot go to medical school it is hard, you cannot do a PhD, it will take time from your family, but every time my husband wants to do anything, everyone applauds and pushes him to achieve it. Only my father and husband have told me that I can do it.”

It is essential that women's ambitions are supported. As the only girl in my family, I was supported and encouraged to pursue my dreams. My parents emphasized the importance of education at a young age and provided me with the opportunities and resources to succeed. This support sparked a dream in my mind - to become a doctor. A decade later, I graduated from the University of Rwanda as a Doctor of Medicine. Now, as I set my sights on becoming a surgeon, I recognise the importance of having support at a young age and having local role models.

As the Rwandan government looks to improve healthcare delivery for its population, it is critical that women are encouraged to partake in this process. Specifically, women are key stakeholders of the four-by-four workforce plan. After all, 51.5 per cent of the Rwandan workforce is female. Hence, by encouraging women to pursue higher education, we will increase the pool of future healthcare workers. Also, women’s contribution to the healthcare workforce will lead to increased productivity.

So, what next? The provision of scholarships, childcare support at hospitals, and development of pregnancy leave policies that don't impact academic/professional progress will help improve recruitment and retention of women. For example, initiatives like the Association Ndabaaga Women in Surgery Rwanda (ANWSR) facilitate mentorship, leadership skill acquisition, and opportunities for young girls to meet working professionals.

Rwandan society is still apprehensive about women pursuing higher education, despite the creation of different specialty training programs by the Rwanda Ministry of Health and other institutions supporting medical education. As a result, the number of women pursuing higher education remains insufficient. This is a missed /opportunity because increased participation of women in higher education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, can contribute to an educated workforce indirectly also improving the economy and family status in general.

The writer is a medical doctor at College of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda