In recent years, Rwanda has made significant strides in promoting gender equity and breaking down barriers for women. Despite these efforts, many challenges remain for women in the country.
From access to education and healthcare to political representation and economic opportunities, women in Rwanda continue to face significant barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the challenges that women in Rwanda face and explore ways to promote gender equity in the country.
One of the biggest challenges for women in Rwanda is access to education. While the country has made significant progress in recent years in increasing enrollment rates for girls in primary and secondary schools, there is still a significant gender gap in higher education.
This is due in part to cultural attitudes that prioritize the education of boys over girls, as well as economic factors that prevent many families from being able to afford the cost of higher education. Early pregnancy can also be a direct factor affecting the education of girls.
To address this issue, the government of Rwanda has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at increasing access to education for girls, including the establishment of boarding schools and the provision of scholarships and financial assistance to girls from low-income families.
There have also been awarding ceremonies, whereby organizations such as Imbuto Foundation award the best performing girls with different resources they need to further their education.
Not only that but different schools have established “The Girl’s room” (Icyumba Cy’umukobwa) in schools.
The girl’s room offers a safe haven for any girl who has unexpectedly gone into her period or any female with menstruation period related issues. The room is equipped with sanitary pads, towels, pain killers, a bed, water, soap etc. and for the girls who cannot afford to buy sanitary pads, the respective school provides them for the duration of the period; free of charge.
Another major challenge for women in Rwanda is access to healthcare. Women in the country face significant barriers to accessing basic healthcare services, including limited access to clinics and hospitals, as well as a lack of trained medical personnel.
This is especially true in rural areas, where many women are unable to access even the most specialized healthcare services. To address this issue, the government of Rwanda has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access for women, including the establishment of community health centers and the training of community health workers.
Women also face significant cultural barriers in accessing training and education that can help them to improve their agricultural practices and increase their yields.
Agriculture is a critical sector for the country’s economy, contributing to nearly a third of the country’s GDP. Despite this, women in agriculture still face significant barriers to access resources such as land and credit.
The gender inequalities remain persistent in the selling of high-yield agriculture. Men continue to be the primary person involved with selling agricultural produce/yield for small-scale and large-scale crops, leaving women restricted to subsistence farming (Gender Monitoring Office,
2017).
One of the other factors that lead to women engaging solely in subsistence farming and not commercial options is due to the fact that only about 1% of Rwandan land is owned by women, and this mostly consists of small plots that all too often are affected by infertile soil.
One way to promote gender equity in agriculture is to provide women with access to land and credit. Women who own land are more likely to invest in the long-term health and productivity of their farms, which can lead to higher yields and greater economic benefits.
Additionally, providing women with access to credit can help them to purchase inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, which can also increase their yields and income. Finally, providing women with training and education can help to improve their agricultural practices, leading to higher yields and greater economic benefits.
Various government initiatives have been put in place to help Rwandan women and young people access finance. These have resulted in an increase of women accessing formal finance from 36% in 2012 to 63% in 2016.
Finally, economic opportunities are a significant challenge for women in Rwanda. Despite making up a significant portion of the country’s workforce, women are often relegated to low-paying, low-skilled jobs that offer limited opportunities for advancement.
This is due in part to cultural attitudes that view women as less capable workers than men, as well as structural barriers that prevent women from accessing education and training opportunities.
To address this issue, the government of Rwanda has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at promoting economic empowerment for women, including the establishment of microfinance programs and the provision of training and support for women entrepreneurs.
While there is still much work to be done to promote gender equity in Rwanda, there are many promising initiatives underway that offer hope for the future. By addressing the challenges faced by women in the areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, and economic empowerment, we can create a more equitable and prosperous society for all Rwandans.
One important step that individuals and organizations can take to promote gender equity in Rwanda is to support local initiatives aimed at empowering women. There are many grassroots organizations and initiatives working to promote gender equity in Rwanda, and by supporting these efforts, we can help to create positive change on the ground.
In conclusion, breaking down barriers for women in Rwanda is an important goal that requires the commitment and dedication of individuals, organizations, and governments at all levels but also women themselves.
