Rwanda: The Journey of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Gender equality is a key aspect of healthy, safe societies and economic resilience. Rwanda exemplifies gender equality and is looked to as a world leader and unique case study. Since the devastating genocide of 1994, Rwanda's leadership has helped to amplify gender equality and narrow the gender gap and the country is revered as one of the most pro-woman country in the world for empowering women. The country has accomplished this incredible feat through investment in the community, socio-economic development, and supportive NGOs. In the words of Rwanda’s President Kagame on International Women’s Day 2022:

” Equality is a right not a favour. We must challenge ourselves to do even more and better to ensure that the next generations of our daughters and granddaughters inherit a nation where their aspirations have no limits.”

Gender Equality: Paving the Way for Women in Rwanda

By empowering women, Rwanda has provided good education opportunities, better healthcare, and increased standards of living for women and society at large, ensuring that future generations benefit from this investment in gender equality. Rwanda’s achievements has resulted in the decline of maternal mortality rates arising from women’s improved access to quality and affordable health care.

Currently, Rwanda has the most women serving in leadership roles within the government, with nearly two thirds of its parliamentary seats and 52 per cent of cabinet positions being held by women. (UN Women-Africa) and Within their constitution, gender equality is established to prevent discrimination of any kind and has helped to propel the countries as one of the top ten in the world to narrow the gender gap for UN women. It is no surprise this incredible country has been chosen to host the sixth Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda in July of this year! It is the largest conference on the well-being, health, equality, and rights for women this century.

From Genocide to Healing: The Evolution of Women’s Empowerment in Rwanda

Women were historically marginalized in Rwandan society, but since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, Rwandan leadership has helped to amplify gender equality. Because most of those killed in the Rwandan genocide were men and because many other men fled to neighboring nations, 70 percent of Rwanda’s post-genocide population was female. Faced with the necessity to help family and community members’ survival, women stepped up to help repair their country after the genocide.

The Rwanda’s government’s actions further provided women the opportunity to rebuild resulted in the empowerment of Rwandan women:

• The newly enacted Rwandan Constitution of 2003 decreed that 30 percent of parliamentary seats be reserved for women. Women would be appointed to leadership roles like government, ministers, police chiefs, and female education was strongly encouraged.

• Following the 2003 election, 48% of parliamentary seats went to women, 56% in 2008, 64% in 2013 and 68% in 2018, the world’s highest.

• By August 2018, women made up 42 percent of the total cabinet members, 32 percent of senators, 50 percent of judges and 43.5 percent of city and district council seats.

• Women are well represented and active across different sectors in education, business, trade, sports, etc.

• Today, Rwanda’s politics are viewed as a model of gender inclusiveness.

An Inspiring Women's Empowerment Trip to Rwanda

Become inspired in 2023 and join Global Family Travels on an experience that will inspire and transform you. Using our travel pillars of “Learn, Serve & Immerse,” we have created a unique journey that supports several local non-profit organizations, providing travelers with opportunities to understand Rwanda’s evolution to empower women and how more countries can, and should, follow in their footsteps.

Global Family Travels’ 10-day adventure to Rwanda involves the themes of healing, peace, reconciliation, collaboration, sustainable development and gender equality. Travelers will make a somber but important trip to the Kigali Genocide Museum, as well as engaging visits to the Nyamirambo Women’s Center, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Girls School, a women’s farming endeavor, local markets, and other supportive NGOs.

A Rwanda Journey in support of key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Aspects of this Learn, Serve & Immerse journey to Rwanda align with the United Nations globally recognized Sustainable Development Goals. Global Family Travels chose to highlight 5 of the 17 goals in our program, with the aim of developing a regenerative adventure, to both support the local communities we visit and to educate travelers about the important balance of these global goals Rwanda's endeavors in achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. The 5 goals are as follows:

Global Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being: This powerful trip to Rwanda exposes travelers to empowerment facilities, programs and initiatives that centralize health and wellness services to help nurture and bolster women to be happy, healthy and professionally invigorated. The Imbuto Foundation, which travelers will learn more about, helps enable women to grow. Travelers will learn more about their service in Kigali and the foundation’s impact to general health and wellbeing, and how working toward a healthy and prosperous society will further advance other SDGs and boost morale, empowerment and successes.

Global Goal #4: Quality Education: This transformative Rwanda adventure gives travelers the opportunity to meet with organizations putting gender equality and educational opportunities for women at the forefront. Ensuring quality education for women is a vital tool for empowering women, building inclusivity and seeing systemic changes on a global scale.

Goal #5: Gender Equality: One of the primary themes of this program in Rwanda is to support, advocate and champion women empowerment. Thus, this program highlights the many ways Rwanda is working to support the large and vast community of women both in the country and as a pipeline for female empowerment in other countries.

Goal #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: During this powerful journey to Rwanda, travelers will have the opportunity to learn and bear witness to some of Rwanda’s darkest times, while simultaneously taking part in learning experiences that will showcase how cultures once at odds, have come together for reconciliation and peace. Such experiences include: a visit to the reconciliation village and a memorable lunch encounter with the Ingoma Nshya, an all women drumming troupe made up of Genocide survivors and perpetrators who have come together to empower their communities and showcase their shared culture to travelers.

A Transformative Adventure to Learn First-hand about Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Rwanda

This ultimate Rwanda experience, offered both in a group adventure in June, 2023 and custom dates, will showcase all facets of women’s empowerment, from urban to rural, and give participants a deeper understanding of how Rwanda is seen as a global case study for gender equality and inclusion worldwide. Visitors on this transformative adventure to Rwanda will also take in the stunning natural views of the Nyungwe Forest and remote regions of the country Rwanda and experience life, culture, and art in these very spaces, from drumming troupes to tea planting and a safari ride.

Watch our short video clip about this trip to Rwanda, and learn more about this adventure on Global Family Travels' Rwanda website page. Contact us or book here today to begin your 2023 Rwandan journey!

Optional Gorilla trekking in Rwanda:

People can extend their visit in Rwanda in the “Land of A Thousand Hills” in Volcanoes National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorilla and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems. Tracking endangered mountain gorillas through the mysterious intimacy of the rain forest, alive with the calls of 200 species of colorful birds and other unique flora and fauna, is a transformational experience!