Rwanda’s efforts to promote gender equality in the workplace are beginning to show results, although progress is not consistent across sectors. New laws, policies and workplace initiatives are opening up more opportunities for women, but gaps in employment, safety and leadership are still yet to be closed. In this interview with The New Times, Nadine Umutoni Gatsinzi, the Chief Gender Monitor at the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), explains what has been achieved, persisting challenges, and what still needs to be done to ensure more inclusive workplaces. How would you describe the progress Rwanda has made so far in promoting gender equality in the workplace? Rwanda has come a long way in promoting gender equality at work. More women and men are now getting fair opportunities than in the past. This progress is backed by the Constitution, supported by policies, labour laws, and institutions that help ensure implementation. Over time, gender equality has become widely understood as important for productivity, competitiveness, reducing poverty, and inclusive growth. What are the constitutional provisions on gender equality in employment in Rwanda? The Constitution of Rwanda guarantees equality before the law and the right to work without discrimination. It upholds equal pay for equal work, equal access to jobs and public service, and prohibits discrimination based on sex. It also promotes the participation of women in decision-making and sets a minimum of 30 percent representation of women in decision-making organs. This provision has played a major role in shaping reforms across governance and labour systems. How do international agreements support gender equality in the workplace in Rwanda? Rwanda’s work on gender equality in employment is also supported by international agreements. One of them is the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (C100). This agreement focuses on making sure that women and men are paid equally when they do work of equal value, that is, work that requires similar skills, effort, and responsibility. Another is the ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (C111). This one is about preventing unfair treatment in jobs and workplaces. It ensures that people are not denied opportunities or treated differently because of their sex or other personal characteristics. There is also Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a global agreement that requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women in all areas, including employment, and to promote equal opportunities and protection, including during maternity. Rwanda ratified the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (C190) in 2023. This agreement sets rules to help ensure that workplaces are safe and free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence. Which national policies guide gender equality in the workplace? The Revised National Gender Policy (2021) strengthens accountability, promotes women’s empowerment, and ensures gender is integrated across institutions. It also places strong emphasis on addressing gender-based violence. The National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) complements this by promoting inclusive development, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment, skills development, job creation, and mainstreaming gender across all sectors. What legal reforms have been introduced to support gender equality in employment? Rwanda has strengthened its labour framework through the 2023 law, which amended the 2018 labour law. The law improved protections for women, including job security during pregnancy, the right to parental leave, and stronger protection against discrimination at work. In addition, the 2023 Ministerial Order reinforced occupational safety and health standards, improved parental leave provisions, introduced special protection for premature births, and encouraged measures that support a better balance between work and family life. Which institutions are responsible for enforcing gender equality in the workplace? Rwanda has a coordinated institutional framework. The Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) leads labour policy and enforcement of fair labour standards. The National Public Service Commission ensures merit-based recruitment in the public sector. The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) provides policy direction on gender equality, while the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) ensures oversight and compliance monitoring. The National Women Council mobilizes women at grassroots level, and civil society organizations, including trade unions, support advocacy and grievance mechanisms. Labour inspection systems and HR governance structures in both public and private sectors further reinforce compliance with labour standards and workplace dignity. What practical workplace initiatives are promoting gender equality today? One of the most important reforms is maternity protection. The 2016 law established the Maternity Leave Benefits Scheme, which protects women’s income during maternity leave and reduces employer burden. This has helped reduce discrimination and improve retention of women in formal employment. There are also increasing efforts to support shared caregiving through parental leave for both mothers and fathers, as well as workplace facilities such as Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, breastfeeding rooms, wellness spaces, and flexible working arrangements. What is Rwanda’s Gender Equality Standard and what does recent data show about gender gaps in employment? The Gender Equality Standard (GES) – RS 560:2023, is a national framework implemented by Rwanda Standards Board in collaboration with GMO and the Private Sector Federation. It guides institutions to promote inclusive workplaces by reducing gender pay gaps, increasing women’s leadership, eliminating sexual exploitation and harassment, and strengthening gender-responsive HR systems. About 50 institutions have implemented it, including companies previously certified under the Gender Equality Seal Programme. These institutions have established gender committees, strengthened HR systems, and introduced family-friendly facilities. For example, Bank of Kigali has mother’s rooms across branches, while institutions like Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD), RITCO bus company, and SORWATHE introduced ECD centres to support working parents. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) Labour Force Survey (Q1 2026), the labour force participation rate stands at 64.3 percent. Men are at 71.1 percent while women are at 58.3 percent, showing a gap of 12.8 percentage points. The unemployment rate is 11.0 percent, with women at 12.8 percent and men at 9.4 percent, showing that women still face higher unemployment once they enter the labour market. Despite this progress, what challenges still affect women in the workplace? One major challenge is the unequal burden of unpaid care work. Women continue to carry most domestic and caregiving responsibilities, which limits their participation in paid employment and career advancement. Another challenge is the limited availability of workplace support systems such as Early Childhood Development centres, breastfeeding rooms, and flexible working arrangements. Women are also still concentrated in lower-paying informal sectors and underrepresented in high-paying fields such as ICT, engineering, construction, and transport. Gaps remain in leadership representation in some private sector structures, limiting women’s influence in decision-making roles. What about workplace safety and recruitment practices? Sexual harassment is still a concern in some workplaces, yet many cases go unreported because of fear, stigma, or possible retaliation. This not only undermines dignity and safety, but also affects overall productivity. Gaps remain in gender-responsive recruitment. In some organisations, job descriptions and selection criteria still carry subtle biases, which can disadvantage women, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities or career breaks. What needs to be done to close these remaining gaps? The solutions already exist in Rwanda’s legal and policy frameworks. The priority is full implementation. Strengthening maternity and paternity leave systems, expanding ECD and breastfeeding facilities, scaling up the Gender Equality Standard across more institutions, and enforcing zero-tolerance policies on harassment will accelerate progress. With consistent implementation across both public and private sectors, Rwanda can further close gender gaps and ensure truly inclusive and equitable workplaces.
