Rwanda has emerged first in Africa and the 42nd in the world in non-discrimination index, as per the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2022. The country received a score of 0.63 out of 1, an improvement from its scores of 0.61 in 2019 and 0.62 in 2020 and 2021.
The score draws on questions that assess how people are treated based on their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and national origin in various settings.
The World Justice Project, an international civil society organization working to advance the rule of law globally, produces the index.
Rwanda’s success is attributed to good governance and civil justice, according to Dr Felicien Usengumukiza, the Head of Research and Home-Grown Solutions at Rwanda Government Board (RGB).
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The average score for equal rights is now 0.57 out of 1, with only six countries among the 140 countries and jurisdictions in the 2022 Index scoring above 0.80. Finland, Estonia, and Singapore top the list with 0.84, 0.82, and 0.82 scores, respectively. Discrimination continues to be prevalent worldwide, with data from the World Justice Project indicating that it is widespread and increasing. The report also shows that the rule of law weakened in more countries than it improved in 2022, declining globally for the fifth consecutive year.
The World Justice Project rule of law index measures people's experiences and perceptions of the rule of law and draws on in-depth surveys of over 154,000 households and 3,600 experts and legal practitioners worldwide. It evaluates eight dimensions of the rule of law: limited government powers, absence of corruption, order and security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
Rwanda excelled in all dimensions of the rule of law that were considered, including limited government powers, absence of corruption, order and security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.