Maria Håkansson is the Swedish Chargé d’Affaires to Rwanda and has been living here for four years now. She gave Women Today’s Sharon Kantengwa insight into her work experience in Rwanda and also shared thoughts on what needs to be done to reduce the gender empowerment gap.

Tell us about yourself

I am 45 years old and have been heading the Swedish Embassy as the Chargé d’Affaires for four years now. I live with my partner here in Kigali. We don’t have any children.

Tell us a little bit your work experience?

I am the Chargé d’Affaires, which is a diplomatic word for Head of Embassy in Kigali since 2012. I started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sweden 15 years ago, where I worked for different departments. I started with the press communication department and was working with the European affairs in Europe, New York and now here in Kigali. Being a diplomat is a privilege in such a way that you can do many different things without actually changing your employer.

What do you like most about your job?

I have a very interesting job where I get to meet so many interesting people. Recently we had a group of Swedish parliamentarians and I got to meet His Excellency the President, parliamentarians, ministers and also a group of women from the country side working together to improve their savings. I also got to meet young Rwandan entrepreneurs, very urban and very cosmopolitan. The variety of people that you meet and are able to engage with and talk to is the best part of the job. I also like to think that in humble and small ways, Sweden, through our presence and development cooperation, can contribute a little bit to the development of Rwanda which is a good thing as well.

What are some of the challenges you face?

There are days you are stuck at work and there are lots of things you have to write, look at the budget, do planning and more kind of traditional office bureaucratic work. This is necessary to run an organisation but may not always be the most inspirational part of the work. However, I cannot find anything bad because I work with a merge of Swedish and Rwandan colleagues and I think in general I would be happy to go to the office every day.

What do you love about Rwanda?

Rwanda is the first African country that I have lived in and have only toured the other countries on holiday or work. I have been living happily here in Kigali for four years and I have already extended my post here for one year which is a good sign. It is a very easy city to live in, as it is safe, clean and the weather is perfect compared to where I come from. I have also made lots of friends which makes it feel like home.

Sweden is surrounded by the sea so sometimes I miss the sea and the ocean. Politically, to be landlocked, you just have to deal with it. Otherwise, I don’t think I miss anything else because it is part of living in another country.

When you come to Rwanda you realise that people are reserved and serious which is not very different from Sweden. I didn’t find it a very big change and also, the longer you stay here, the more you get to change your perception.

What do you think of gender equality in Rwanda?

I think this is something that one needs to always work on in Rwanda or in Sweden. It is an ongoing process and one cannot just sit down and say we have achieved our objectives. I think that everyone who comes to Rwanda is impressed by the presence of women in all parts of society. Rwanda has 64 per cent of parliamentarian women and I also meet very many women in media, business but I think that there is more work that needs to be done in the private sector which is the same in Sweden. There is a lot being done but I think there are also still quite conservative values in some parts of society. I think that it is important, for that matter, to engage men and boys in the change and also make sure that men and women work together to change society so that it doesn’t appear like a competition, where its either men or women. Both parties should benefit in society. I think in most parts of the world, there is still much work to do and we need to spread our experiences.

What is your philosophy in life?

My philosophy is to try to be true to yourself and also be open to opportunities that come your way. If you asked me 20 years ago if I ever thought I would be Swedish representative in Rwanda, I would wonder how that would happen. Be open to opportunities that come your way and one experience will lead to the next until you find yourself in a bigger position.

Any advice you would like to pass on?

Women should believe in themselves because there are lots of things that they can do. But they also need to support each other. We need networks and solidarity among ourselves as women. We could start with providing a good platform for the young because if you look at powerful leaders today, they belong to many networks and I think we should learn from them.

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