Prepared by : Prepared by : Madam Jeanne Madam Jeanne D’arcD’arc GAKUBAGAKUBA

Deputy Mayor in charge of Social Deputy Mayor in charge of Social Affairs/Kigali /RWANDAAffairs/Kigali /RWANDA

CHALLENGES FACED BYCHALLENGES FACED BYWOMEN LEADERS IN RWANDAN WOMEN LEADERS IN RWANDAN

LOCAL GOVERNMENTSLOCAL GOVERNMENTS

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

The The RwandanRwandan women’swomen’s awarenessawareness of the of the needneed to come out of to come out of anonymityanonymity and and contributecontribute to the management of to the management of theirtheircountry country startedstarted aroundaround 1983 in the civil 1983 in the civil society. Associations for the society. Associations for the economiceconomicpromotion of promotion of womenwomen and for the and for the defencedefenceof the of the rightsrights of of womenwomen and and childrenchildren werewerecreatedcreated..

OVERVIEW( continues)OVERVIEW( continues)

AlreadyAlready in 1993,in 1993,therethere waswas a group of 13 a group of 13 associations for the promotion of associations for the promotion of womenwomen whichwhichwaswas calledcalled ProwomenProwomen TweseTwese hamwehamweAfterAfter 1994,and 1994,and withinwithin the the purviewpurview of the of the management of the management of the consequencesconsequences of the of the genocidegenocide, , womenwomen tooktook the the leadlead in in revampingrevamping the the economyeconomy and in and in rebuildingrebuilding the the shatteredshatteredeconomiceconomic fabric.Thisfabric.This waswas an an actact of courage and of courage and extraordinaryextraordinary leadership.leadership.

OVERVIEW(continues)OVERVIEW(continues)

TheyThey beganbegan by by breakingbreaking taboostaboos and and takingtakingall all formsforms of of responsibilityresponsibility..The The ministryministry for for gendergender issues facilitated issues facilitated the participation of the participation of womenwomen in the Beijing in the Beijing ConferenceConference of 1995 and in the setting up of 1995 and in the setting up of the National Women’s Council to of the National Women’s Council to whichwhichall all womenwomen identifyidentify themselves,beginningthemselves,beginningwithwith the the smallestsmallest administrative administrative unit(unit(UmuduguduUmudugudu))

OVERVIEW(continues)OVERVIEW(continues)

Up to the national Up to the national level,thislevel,this waswas the basic the basic structure for structure for providingproviding information and for information and for the training of the training of womenwomen soso thatthat theythey shouldshouldbebe empoweredempowered and have selfand have self--confidence.confidence.

LEGAL FRAMEWORKLEGAL FRAMEWORKHavingHaving appreciatedappreciated the the rolerole playedplayed by by womenwomen in national reconstruction in national reconstruction and and havinghaving suscribedsuscribed to the Beijing to the Beijing resolutions,theresolutions,the RwandanRwandanGovernmentGovernment set up a set up a mechanismmechanism to to promotepromote womenwomen in in decisiondecision--makingmaking..In 2000 ,the In 2000 ,the decentralizationdecentralization policypolicy and and itsits lawslaws stipulatedstipulated thatthat atat least least 30 % of the politico30 % of the politico--administrative positions administrative positions shouldshould bebe heldheld by by womenwomen(Local (Local GovernmentGovernment CouncilsCouncils and and ExecutiveExecutive CouncilsCouncils))

. The new . The new ConstutionConstution of 2003 of 2003 confirmedconfirmed and and reinforcedreinforced the the aboveabovedecisionsdecisions and and proposedproposed the the gendergender observatoire( Sectionsobservatoire( Sections 7 (1); 8( 37 (1); 8( 39); 11; 16; 23; 28; 29; 37;40; 52( 3);54; 76; 77( 3) ;82; 126( 19); 11; 16; 23; 28; 29; 37;40; 52( 3);54; 76; 77( 3) ;82; 126( 1); 185 ; ); 185 ; 187; 201( 3)187; 201( 3)

1. Number of women leaders in local 1. Number of women leaders in local governments governments

Women Women elected elected in the in the sector sector council council bureauxbureaux

NumberNumber ofofelectedelected

officialsofficials in in thethe sectorsector

councilcouncilbureaux bureaux

% of % of women at women at

sector sector level level

Total Total sectorsectorcouncillorscouncillors

Kigali /Province Kigali /Province

36.1036.101 2481 24844.9644.9611,52511,525TOTALTOTAL

41.941.910510546.6346.63787787Kigali Kigali 35.5835.5826726745.2445.242,1132,113NORTHNORTH34.3234.3230330346.8946.893 ,5593 ,559SOUTHSOUTH

34.7234.7228828843.6843.682 ,5942 ,594WESTWEST

343428528542.442.42,4722,472EASTEAST%%numbernumber%%

2. District Council2. District Council BureauBureau

NumberNumber ofof womenwomen in in thethe Bureau Bureau

NumberNumber ofofBureau Bureau membersmembers

Province / Kigali Province / Kigali

%%NumberNumber

38.8838.8835359090Total Total

44.4444.4404040909Kigali Kigali

33.3333.3305051515NORTHNORTH

41.6641.6610102424SOUTHSOUTH

38.0938.0908082121WESTWEST

38.0938.0908082121EASTEAST

3 District councils3 District councils

45.945.9360360784784TOTALTOTAL

52.9252.9236366868Kigali Kigali

43.843.86969167167NORTHNORTH

45.3145.318787192192SOUTHSOUTH

47.647.69696189189WESTWEST

43.8243.827878178178EASTEAST

%%NumberNumber ofofwomenwomen

NumberNumber ofofelectedelected District District CouncilCouncilofficialsofficials

Kigali Kigali andand provincesprovinces

4 Kigali Executive Committee4 Kigali Executive Committee

2 (66.6%)2 (66.6%)1 (33.3%)1 (33.3%)33

WomenWomenMenMenNumberNumber

6. Urban Council6. Urban Council

15 (48.3%)15 (48.3%)16 (51.7%)16 (51.7%)3131

WomenWomenMenMenNumberNumber

7. 7. House of House of AssemblyAssembly

4040

33.33.33

34.34.66

%%

63.763.7

66.666.6

51.251.2

%%

44606066101036.336.38814142222CommissioCommission Bureau n Bureau

1166.666.6223333.333.3112233BureauBureau

9965.465.41717262648.848.8393941418080NumberNumber

WomenWomen%%MenMenNumberNumber%%WomeWomenn

MenMenNumberNumber

SenateSenateHouse House ofof AssemblyAssembly

Challenges Challenges facedfaced by by womenwomenLeaders in Local Leaders in Local GovernmentsGovernments

1.Cultural 1.Cultural barriersbarriers whichwhich sometimessometimes makemake itit difficultdifficult for for womenwomen to to bebeacceptedaccepted because men have not because men have not yetyet understoodunderstood the relevance of the relevance of gendergender policypolicy. .

2.Lack of 2.Lack of experienceexperience in in governancegovernance: : AlthoughAlthough RwandanRwandan womenwomen are are electedelected and are and are trainedtrained by the National Women’s by the National Women’s Council,thereCouncil,there isisthe the needneed for training and exchange of for training and exchange of experienceexperience soso thatthat theythey cancanlive up to live up to theirtheir taskstasks..4. 4. DifficultyDifficulty in in playingplaying the triple the triple rolerole ((combiningcombining familyfamilymanagement,workmanagement,work and social relations)and social relations)5.A 5.A technologytechnology thatthat doesdoes not not lightenlighten the the woman’swoman’s workwork: : lacklack of of appropriateappropriate equipmentequipment for the for the kitchen,laundarykitchen,laundary etc. etc.

StrategiesStrategies to to overcomeovercome the the variousvarious challenges challenges

The The MinistyMinisty in charge of local in charge of local governmentsgovernments, RALGA and the civil society , RALGA and the civil society regularlyregularly organizeorganize training sessions for training sessions for electedelected womenwomen officialsofficials .The .The prioritypriority areas areas are: are: Management,goodManagement,good governancegovernance, , strategicstrategic planning and the planning and the abilityability to talk in to talk in public.public.

Conclusions and Conclusions and recommandationsrecommandations

To To achieveachieve sustainablesustainable developmentdevelopment, the participation of , the participation of womenwomen isisindispensable because of indispensable because of theirtheir social, social, economiceconomic and and politicalpolitical rolesroles..In countries In countries wherewhere gendergender policypolicy isis not not yetyet understood,itunderstood,it isis the the dutydutyof of womenwomen to to bebe proactive in proactive in orderorder to to defenddefend theirtheir interestsinterests and and thosethoseof of theirtheir countries. countries. 1. The 1. The rolerole of the civil society and the UN of the civil society and the UN agenciesagencies isis neededneeded to to support the support the existingexisting initiatives and urge initiatives and urge womenwomen to to seekseek decisiondecision--makingmaking positions positions suchsuch as in the local as in the local governmentsgovernments. .

3.It 3.It isis necessarynecessary to set up permanent communication to set up permanent communication mechanismsmechanismsbetweenbetween the the electedelected officialsofficials and the and the electorselectors soso thatthat planning planning shouldshould bebe basedbased on the real on the real needsneeds of men and of men and womenwomen..PromotePromote technologies and technologies and otherother approachesapproaches whichwhich lightenlighten the the workworkloadload for for womenwomen ( ( peacemakerpeacemaker) crèches) ) crèches)

THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND YOUR KIND ATTENTIONATTENTION