Women now have more than 53 per cent of the 26 seats in the new Senate, the first ever women-dominated upper house in Rwanda’s history. Women had 35 per cent in the last term. The country has also maintained the world’s highest percentage of women in the lower house of Parliament for more than 15 years. Following the last elections and President Paul Kagame’s appointments in the Senate, Rwanda took the fourth position of countries with majority female members in the upper house, after Australia, Canada, and Bolivia. ALSO READ: Who are the 26 senators in fourth legislature? In the Chamber of Deputies more than 63 percent of the 80 members are women. Women have held majority seats in the lower house since 2008. For Patricia Hajabakiga, a former senator, the continued rise of women in leadership positions is a sign that Rwanda is shedding traditional gender stereotypes. “Rwanda has come to understand that both men and women have equal capacity to fulfill their roles effectively. The number of women who have served before were chosen not because of their gender, but because of their capability,” Hajabakiga said. “Voters are increasingly recognizing the competence of women leaders, and that the Senate’s gender balance is a reflection of this growing trust, as many of them were re-elected which means they served well in their first term.” ALSO READ: Rwanda's Senate gets female majority for first time The majority representation of women in the Rwandan Parliament is an indication of the country’s commitment to promoting gender equality and balance, observes Odette Nyiramilimo, another former senator. Nyiramilimo told The New Times that while Rwanda is performing well in gender balance, more effort is needed to reach women in remote regions. “As a person who has seen the Rwandan politics develop, realizing how the number of women is increasing in parliament is something that will help in promoting gender balance. Women in rural areas often do not fully understand policies aimed at promoting gender equality,” she said. “The new Senate should prioritize breaking these concepts down for citizens, making them more accessible, and implementing laws that ensure gender balance translates to the ground change.” Nyiramilimo also mentioned that the gender gap that persists primarily in financial roles should be addressed. “The new members of parliament should focus on empowering women economically to close the remaining gap. Otherwise, Rwanda is performing well,” she said. ALSO READ: Number of women in Rwanda’s lower house of parliament rises to 63.8% Abbas Mukama, former Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, pointed out that the increase in female senators reflects the confidence voters have in women's abilities. “The fact that women hold such a high percentage of seats is a testament to their capacity to lead. The Senate, which is normally dominated by men, now mirrors the lower chamber, where women are the majority, and this started earlier and women showed their capacity.” Mukama said.
