Women empowerment is not a new concept in Rwanda because it is entrenched in her history. In the history of Rwanda, women held key responsibilities in the socio-economic and political life of the nation — a reflection of their paramount contribution in Rwandan society.
In Rwandan history, women deliberately broke the cultural myth that limited their direct participation in wars, provided spiritual and moral support like their male counterparts. Women sacrifices brought out their patriotic and heroic actions until the advent of colonial false mindset which confused and disrupted society.
However, biased patriarchal falsehoods misconstrued women's biological differences, their exclusive reproductive roles like being pregnant and breastfeeding children with their abilities. Such unrealistic narratives are due to ignorance and grounded gender misconceptions because such differences are not in any way a limitation to occupy and perform any leadership and managerial responsibilities.
Today, Rwanda’s good leadership has interrogated, demystified, and neutralised such gender biases and misconceptions in nation-building. It is no longer a surprise for a woman to occupy any position of responsibility and this is consistent with Rwanda liberation ideals. Excluding the role of women in national development would be a serious mistake as it demands that women work together with their male counterparts. H.E President Paul Kagame, during the 3rd RPF – Inkotanyi Women’s League Congress, on April 22, 2017 underscored that ‘empowering women is a responsibility, not a favour’.
The strong desire and determination of women to address society problems is insurmountable. In Rwanda, numbers show that women members of parliament are 61%, in the senate women are 34.6%, women members of cabinet are 50%, governors and Mayor of City of Kigali are 40%, district council committees are 45.7%, leaders of district councils are 63%, women district mayors 29.6%, women village leaders 39.8%, women sector leaders 16.4% and women cell leaders 35.8%. Also, the nominated and elected women positions in addition to the 30% reserved quota present a good representation in decision-making positions.
These are not just figures because empowerment has given women the opportunity to contribute to the welfare of their families, prevented women from being victims of toxic relationships, created family consensus in deciding on family matters, reciprocal respect and an inspiration to the girl child.
But, providing support facilities to women like cooking using gas at home to substitute charcoal, washing machines, early childhood centres at workplaces etc. are critical enablers to the women empowerment journey, including the need to educate men on how to support empowered women.
Rwanda Patriotic Front liberation struggle is the foundation of women empowerment because right from the inception, RPF leadership clearly understood, identified and recognised the potential role of women in its structures in many ways. For example, women participated in mass mobilisation, resource mobilisation, fought in the military, significantly contributed to Arusha Accord, participated in national dialogue in Urugwiro and in the making of the constitution of Rwanda.
After the liberation of the country, the leadership of Rwanda established gender machinery composed of different institutions, structures and platforms to ensure that gender sensitive laws, policies and programmes to facilitate women empowerment are made.
The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion provides policy orientation, the National Women Council is for women mobilisation and empowerment, the Gender Monitoring Office for advocacy and gender accountability and Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum to make sure that the enacted laws and policies are gender responsive.
In addition, women in Rwanda are members of different political parties, leadership groups, cooperatives and associations. Hence, women empowerment is felt in practical terms in the lives of citizens through addressing the evils inherent in communities.
However, women are still few in traditional male-dominated sectors like transport, mining, energy, construction industry, technical and vocational schools like in STEM courses. Also, a girl child still has varied limitations which make her drop out of school along the education ladder.
Women are still faced with social and responsibility mobility limitations especially in taking up employment opportunities in distant places far from their family homes, mainly because they fear leaving behind their children. Access to information, networking and unpaid care work still limit their self-improvement.
Women empowerment is still work in progress given the circumstances at the grassroots. Men’s engagement to support the journey of women empowerment needs reinforcement. Colonial disruptions which antagonised the socio-economic and political complementarity between men and women should be interrogated.
The author is the Executive Secretary of Northern Province.