ArecentarticlepublishedinTheGuardianonJanuary12,titledOnParliamentaryEqualitytheUKIs48th.ItCouldLearnfromNo.1:Rwanda,callsonsomeoftheworld’snationstolearnalessonortwofromRwandaasfaraspoliticalinclusionofwomenisconcerned.Indeed,RwandaisleadingthepackamongAfricangovernments,non-governmentalorganizations,theprivatesectorandthesocietythatareincreasinglyunitinginworkingtoimprovethepoliticalandeconomicsituationofwomenacrossthecontinent.
However,itisimportanttofirstnotethatthewidespreadassumptionthatAfricansocietiesintheentiretyoftheirculturesareinclinedtolookdownonwomenisnotreallythecase.ManyAfricansocietiespriortocolonialintrusionhadasectionoftheirfemalefolkwhowereveryempoweredpolitically,economicallyandsocially,andwhoparticipatedactivelyincommunityorganizationandnationbuilding.ColonialismintroducedsomeformofVictoriangenderideologyamongtheAfricanupperclassandtoalargeextentsucceededinerasingpreexistingtraditionalformsoffemalepowermanifestationsinprecolonialAfrica.Fromcolonialrecords,womeninprecolonialRwandaworkedhardinthefarmsandhadsomemeasureoflibertyovereconomicmatters.However,colonialism,forthefirsttime,consignedcertainwomentobecomehousewivesinthecitiesasaresultofbeingmarriedtomalecitizenswhoworkedforthecolonialadministration.
Genderequity
ManyAfricancountriesarenowworkingtoreestablishtheprecolonialstatusandrecognitiongrantedtowomenandtoalsocorrectcertaindisempoweringculturalbeliefs,normsandpracticesthatdatebacktoprecolonialtimes.Thishasbecomeimperativesince,accordingtoInternationalMonetaryFund(IMF)ManagingDirectorChristineLagarde,“Whenwomendobetter,economiesdobetter.”Also,addressingtheClintonGlobalInitiative,formerPresidentoftheUnitedStatesBillClintonnoted,“Womenperform66percentoftheworld’swork,andproduce50percentofthefood,yetearnonly10percentoftheincomeandown1percentoftheproperty.”
RwandaisonecountryinAfricathathassucceededinstructurallydismantlingseveralbarriersthatpreviouslyconsignedwomentothestatusofunderlingsinthepolity,andisgraduallybutsteadilyworkingtotransformmindsetsaboutwomenamongthepopulace.Sincethegenocideof1994,whenapproximately1millioncitizenswerekilledandsomehalfamillionwomenraped,theGovernmentofRwandahasputineffortsatimprovingthestatusofwomen,andhasrecordedsomeimpressiveresultsinthatprocess.Indeed,RwandahasbeenhailedasoneofAfrica’ssuccessstoriesintermsofensuringinclusionofwomeningovernance,andincraftingpoliciestoimprovethesocialandeconomicsituationofthenation’sfemalepopulation.
Today,64percentofRwanda’sparliamentariansarewomen,representingthehighestproportionoffemaleparliamentariansintheworld.ThereisadedicatedagencytomonitorissuesofgenderequityinthecountryknownastheGenderMonitoringOffice(GMO)andgenderrightsareenshrinedinthecountry’sconstitution.Severallawsexistspecificallytoprotectwomen’srightofinheritancetoland,assetsharinginmarriagerelationships,andobtainingofcreditforentrepreneurialendeavors.
Womenempowerment
Rwandahascomeaverylongwayfromthepregenocideerawhenwomencouldneithertakeonemploymentnorfreelytravelinternationallywithoutasignedapprovalobtainedfromtheirhusbands.Inpre-genocideRwandaalso,womencouldnotinheritpropertyandweresometimesforcedtomarryearlyandagainsttheirwishes,inadditiontohavingnoaccesstocontraceptives.AccordingtoWorldHealthOrganizationInter-AgencyGroup,thematernalmortalityrateinbirthshadfallenfrom567deathsper100,000birthsin2005to290deathsper100,000birthsin2015.Approximately98percentofRwandanwomenarecoveredbyhealthinsuranceandtherearelessteenagemarriagesandpregnanciesthaneverbefore.
Rwanda’sprogressinwomenempowermentcutsacrosssectors,andisverynoticeableintheeduca-tionsector,wherebetween2005and2010,theaverageageofeducationalattainmentamongfemalemembersofRwanda’spopulationincreasedbyoneyear.Literacyrateamongfemalesof15-24yearsoldstoodat78percentin2013,whileintermsofformalemployment,latestavailablestatistics,accordingtotheNationalInstituteofStatisticsofRwanda,statethatsince2000,Rwandahasrecordedahigherfemaleemploymentratethanmen.
MinisterofForeignAffairsandCooperationofRwandaLouiseMushikiwabo(center)ispartofthegenderequalitydriveintheRwandanGovernmentPANSIWEIToday,64percentofRwanda’sparliamentariansarewomen,representingthehighestproportionoffemaleparliamentariansintheworld.
Challenges
Havingmadesuchnotableachievements,Rwandastillcontendswithcertainchallengeswhichthegovernmentisworkinghardtosurmount.WomeninRwandaaccountformorethan54percentofRwanda’spopulationand30percentofruralhouseholdsareheadedbywomenwithmostofthembeingfoodinsecure.Agriculture,whichmostoftheruraldwellersdependon,isnotdependableandisgrosslyunderdeveloped,owingmainlytoenvironmentalfactorsandtheabsenceofmoderntechnologyinfarming.Ruralagriculture,inwhichwomenaremostlyengaged,consistsofsmallplotsoflessthan1hectareonwhichrain-fedgraincropsarecultivated,traditionallivestockrearedandvegetablesplanted.Onlyasmallpercentageoffarmers,whoaremostlymen,areengagedincashcropsproduction.Therefore,femaleheadedhouseholdsinruralareasarethemostvulnerablesincetheyhavelittleaccesstolandandsomeofthemarelandless.WhatisneededatthispointisfortheGovernmentofRwandatofocusattentiononempoweringfemaleruraldwellerswithnecessaryskillsandresourcesneededtoexceedtheircurrentincomelevels.Butdespitetheabovechallenges,Rwanda’srecordintermsofwomenempowermenthasmadeitabeaconoflightforAfricaandtherestoftheworld.
(Thewriterisseniorlecturer/researcherattheUniversityofRwandaCollegeofBusinessandEconomics)