Outcome RWA_D_3.1

By 2029 people in Rwanda, especially the most vulnerable, are empowered as productive human capital, accessing and utilising inclusive, resilient, gender-transformative and quality social services.

In 2025, UN Women Rwanda, in close partnership with the Government of Rwanda, One UN Rwanda, civil society organisations, and development partners, contributed to strengthening the social systems and enabling conditions that shape people’s ability particularly women, girls, and those most vulnerable to access and effectively utilise essential social services. By reinforcing GBV prevention and response, strengthening accountability mechanisms, advancing social norm change, and addressing care-related constraints, collective efforts supported more inclusive, resilient, and gender-transformative delivery of health, justice, education, and social protection services. In collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the Gender Monitoring Office, and key civil society actors, UN Women strengthened the national and local response to gender-based violence (GBV), including emerging forms such as technology-facilitated violence. This was done by supporting stakeholder consultations, technical briefings, and coordination platforms that improved understanding of legal and policy standards, clarified roles and responsibilities across sectors, and reinforced alignment with regional and global frameworks such as the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. As a result, prevention, protection, and survivor-centred response mechanisms were strengthened, and national ownership of rights-based approaches to safeguarding women’s safety, dignity, and participation in social and economic life was reinforced. Key national actors demonstrated strong ownership and committed to advocating for the Convention’s ratification and domestication, reinforcing Rwanda’s legal and policy framework on violence against women and girls. Working through One UN Rwanda coordination mechanisms, UN Women together with UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, and with support from partners such as the Luxembourg Agency for Development enhanced coherence across institutions responsible for GBV prevention and response. Joint planning, harmonised advocacy, and multi-stakeholder convenings brought together government institutions, UN agencies, civil society, media, youth networks, and private sector actors around shared priorities and messages. These efforts improved the visibility of available GBV, health, and judicial services, strengthened referral pathways, and reduced informational and social barriers to help-seeking. As a result, women and girls experiencing violence are better positioned to seek support earlier, navigate services more effectively, and access integrated protection and justice mechanisms. UN Women also worked with national and local planning authorities to strengthen the systems that determine how social services are financed, delivered, and monitored. Through UN Women's technical support on gender-responsive budgeting, GBV-responsive planning, and accountability mechanisms aligned with NST2 (2024–2029), institutions strengthened their capacity to integrate gender equality and GBV considerations into planning, budgeting, and monitoring processes. These system-level improvements are expected to contribute to more equitable, predictable, and sustainable resource allocation, supporting improved service quality, affordability, and continuity particularly for populations facing intersecting vulnerabilities. Addressing unpaid care work formed a critical pathway through which UN Women supported improved access to services and human capital development. In partnership with ActionAid Rwanda and local actors, UN Women strengthened access to quality early childhood development and promoted more equitable caregiving practices through capacity strengthening, awareness-raising, and support to caregivers and parents. These efforts help reduce time and mobility constraints that limit women’s ability to access health, justice, education, and social services, while ensuring children benefit from integrated education, health, nutrition, and protection support. Additionally, UN Women advanced social norm transformation by working with men’s organisations, youth structures, media institutions, and regional platforms such as AUDA-NEPAD to promote positive masculinities and gender-responsive narratives. Through dialogue, advocacy, and visibility at national and regional levels, these efforts contribute to a more supportive social environments in which women’s access to services, safety, and participation in public life are increasingly recognised and upheld.