Outcome RWA_D_1.2

Women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men throughout all spheres of society

In 2024, UN Women continued to implement interventions that aim to address structural barriers like unpaid care work (UCW), which limits women’s leadership opportunities. Women in Rwanda spend 7.1 hours daily on UCW, compared to 2.1 hours for men. In collaboration with MIGEPROF, UN Women leads the Rwanda Care Agenda, advocating for the recognition, reduction, and redistribution (3R) of UCW. As part of public mobilization efforts, community awareness campaigns aired on national television and radio focused on redistributing caregiving responsibilities and showcasing the transformative impact of gender equality within households. These broadcasts reached diverse audiences, including those in remote communities, sparking dialogue and challenging deeply rooted social norms. Through the engagement of men, women, and youth, UN Women and MIGEPROF have driven societal norm changes and reinforced institutional support for women leaders. Advocacy efforts led to commitments such as to expand Early Childhood Development (ECD) services, embed care economy principles into national policies and legislation such as the revised Family Law, and increasing men's participation in care responsibilities. As a result, more women are stepping into leadership roles with broader public acceptance. In addition, stakeholders’ capacity to integrate gender into economic planning has increased as a result of a UN Women-MIGEPROF convened training which equipped government, civil society, and private sector actor stakeholders with tools such as the Oxfam Care Scorecard and UN Women-ILO Costing Tool, ensuring unpaid care work is systematically mainstreamed in the action plans they developed based on the support provided. As a result of these concerted efforts, there has been a notable shift in the public and institutional recognition of women as capable and effective leaders. Addressing unpaid care work has not only expanded women’s economic opportunities but has also helped reframe societal attitudes toward women in leadership roles. Women are increasingly seen as equal contributors and decision-makers, with their leadership capabilities being celebrated and supported at local and national levels. This shift is reinforced by the integration of care work considerations into national strategies such as NST2 implementation plans, District Development strategies (DDS) fostering an environment where shared caregiving responsibilities promote more inclusive societal structures and equitable perceptions of leadership.

Women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men throughout all spheres of society

In this reporting year, UN Women Rwanda is on track in ensuring that women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men in all spheres of society. In an effort to support women to actively participate in leadership positions and change perceptions on their legitimacy as effective leaders in society, UN Women in partnership with Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) organized awareness-raising campaigns in which 2500 community members increased their knowledge and understanding of gender equality and women’s rights to equal participation in decision-making processes. One of the forums used to build awareness of the community on gender equality and women’s rights is a special community gathering known as ''inteko y'abaturage'' that involves community meetings held weekly and is used as a platform for discussing and resolving issues within the community. In this regard, GMO with support from UN Women brought together residents from the Northern Province, Government institutions, Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Faith Based Organisations, development partners and UN Agencies to raise awareness on the principles of gender equality including leadership, and accountability to ensure that going forward ‘’inteko y'abaturage’’ includes in its agenda gender equality and civic understanding of women’s rights to equal participation in decision-making processes. In addition, under the unpaid care work programme, UN Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family promotion (MIGEPROF) commissioned a baseline survey to assess the status of unpaid care work among women and men in 8 Districts of Rwanda. The report's findings showed that on average women spend 7.1 hours per day working on unpaid care work compared to 2.1 hours for men. This indicates that women and girls carry a heavier burden of care work than their male counterparts. As such, UN Women, MIGEPROF and other Gender Machinery institutions convened national and local policy dialogues that brought together experts from UN agencies, Civil Society Organisations, and Academia to discuss and raise awareness on the burden of unpaid care work on women. As a result of the baseline findings and the policy dialogues, an Inter-Ministerial Consultative Council (IMCC) recommended a review of the family law to consider the value of unpaid care work. The draft bill is currently still at the ministerial level discussion and will soon be tabled before the cabinet. If it is approved by parliament, unpaid care work will not go unvalued, at least in a divorce settlement case. Furthermore, if this bill passes, Rwanda will become among the few countries in the world compensating spouses for unpaid care work in divorce settlements. https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/4025/news/rwanda/unpaid-care-work-to-be-valued-in-divorce-settlement-cases The above negative social norm and other gender stereotypes holding back women in leadership and governance were addressed by the CO using other approaches including engaging men and boys as well as the media. In this framework, UN Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion developed a National MenEngage and Gender Transformative Strategy for Gender Equality which puts more emphasis on the role of men/boys in the journey to gender equality promotion. The strategy also aims to promote positive forms of masculine behaviors and engage men and boys as positive and supportive partners in women's socio-economic development and in the prevention of and response to gender-based violence, including the reduction of intimate partner violence, as well as to improve the reporting and response to GBV victims. In addition to this, the strategy is meant to harmonize effort on men engage among different stakeholders including government, CSOs and NGOs. Furthermore, UN Women conducted an awareness press breakfast meeting with media and public influencers which discussed existing negative social norms that hinder gender equality promotion and women’s leadership and governance. The breakfast brought together over 80 reporters and journalists from different media houses. Other key stakeholders who participated at the press breakfast included representatives of different Government institutions, members of Parliament, members of civil society organizations and UN agencies. The key recommendations from the breakfast meeting discussions were that media should avoid practices that fuel negative social norms and gender stereotypes in their profession which would lead them into GBV crimes and defamation, the media needs to change the narrative and shift the focus from the victim to the perpetrators so as to seek for justice. Moreover, relevant institutions such as Rwanda Media Council (RMC) should establish a gender-responsive editorial policy for media and there is a need to compile harmful social norms (words, thoughts, attitudes, cultural beliefs, and proverbs) that fuel negative social norms and gender stereotypes to be able to address and review them (develop the dos and don’ts).

Women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men throughout all spheres of society

The road to gender parity is on track which is evident by the increasing number of women actively participating at higher levels of leadership and changing perceptions on their legitimacy as effective leaders in society. In the 2016 elections, 16.1% of men and 83.9% of women were elected Council Secretary. In 2023, 22% of men and 78% of women are elected Council Secretary. In 2016, 80,6% of men vs 19.4% of women were elected Mayors and in 2023, 70% of men and 30% of women are mayors respectively. UN Women Rwanda is contributing towards ensuring that women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men in all spheres of society by addressing the burden of unpaid care work (UCW) on women. On average women in Rwanda spends 7.1 hours per day working on unpaid care work compared to 2.1 hours for men indicating that women and girls carry a heavier burden than their male counterparts. As such, UN Women and Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) convened a high-level consultative workshop on unpaid care work that gathered key actors in the area of care to discuss common approaches to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work. As a result, a sub-technical working group on care was established under the leadership of the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion/Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment cluster that recommended to Develop KPI’s of GEWE/UCW at key relevant sectors and track the progress, have Unpaid Care Work topic included in the 2024 national retreat and national dialogue (Umushyikirano) agenda; partner with the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy to promote positive values and sustain positive cultural norms; ensure integration of 5R interventions in the second generation of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), District Development Strategies (DDS) and Performance Contracts (IMIHIGO) that implement government commitments through NST; commitment to have household-level Performance Contracts (IMIHIGO) integrate family commitments related to Unpaid Care Work (UCW) and promotion of peer-learning/ exchange visits among provinces and districts focusing on GEWE.

Women are perceived as equally legitimate and effective leaders as men throughout all spheres of society

Advocacy and communication efforts continues to focus on raising awareness on gender equality and to promote equality at all levels, including governance, leadership and in pursuing equal opportunities and ending discrimination in all forms. In 2021, live talk shows were held to promote women's leadership, to celebrate achievements made and to discuss ways forward to create equal opportunities for women as leaders in all spheres of society. Building on the assessment on the gender compliance of Rwandan laws, UN Women is supporting the production of policy briefs and position papers that will support evidence-based advocacy to promote gender-responsiveness and sensitiveness in Rwandan laws. During the 16 days of activism, UN Women in partnership with the National Gender Machinery organized community awareness raising events. Thousands of people from the public, senior government officials, development partners, CSOs and UN agencies participated in the events that conveyed message on GBV Prevention and Responsive and the responsibility of the community as a whole to contribute to ending violence against women, including the responsibility to report any form of violence including domestic violence committed during elections with the aim to discourage women from participating. Awareness-raising campaigns are also held as part of the programme to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work, which remains a main obstacle for women equal participation in all spheres. It is truly believed that by reducing and redistributing unpaid care work, women's time will be freed up to participate in local governance. The road to gender parity is underway which is evident by the local government elections in 2021, in which the proportion of women at higher levels of leadership is increasing. In the 2016 elections, 16.1% of men and 83.9% of women were elected Council Secretary. In 2021, 22% of men and 78% of women were elected Council Secretary. This indicates a shift in mindset of people demystifying the old traditional beliefs that women are holders of social and care positions and not leadership positions. However, the increase of GBV, and lower representation at local levels and in the private sector shows that community awareness raising, and attitude change is much needed to ensure women’s equal participation at all levels.