Rwandan Senator Nyirasafari Espérance attended the Bureau of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians at the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
Members commended the leadership of Rwanda for the parliamentary election, which resulted in 63.75% of women in the Chamber of Deputies, and 53.8% in Senate. Rwanda remains the first Parliament with a female majority.
The 149th Assembly of the IPU is taking place on 13-17 October 2024 under the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation (STI) for a more peaceful and sustainable future”.
In her remarks, Senator Nyirasafari Espérance shared Rwanda’s best practices in promoting gender equality in science and technology projects
“In Rwanda, women and men are both involved in technology projects without any form of discrimination. Digital and mobile technologies have enormous potential for women’s empowerment by providing them with opportunities to find and share information, access educational and health services, generate incomes, interact, collaborate and network. […]”, Senator Nyirasafari Espérance told participants.
Through legislation, Rwanda has implemented a range of laws and policies to advance gender equality. For instance, Rwanda continues to make history as the first country with a female majority in parliament since 2008.
The country also passed a law in 2016 mandating that at least 30% of decision-making positions in the public sector be held by women.
Additionally, Rwanda has implemented laws to protect women from gender-based violence and discrimination, including a law against domestic violence and a law criminalizing discrimination against women.
These progressive measures were championed by the country’s President Paul Kagame, who placed gender equality at the center of Rwanda’s recovery following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Forum of Women Parliamentarians is a unique entity that has for more than 30 years provided women MPs a global platform to input into international decision-making. The first of its kind and a trailblazer on the issue of women’s political participation, the Forum meets at every Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly. (End)