As we mark International Women’s Day (IWD) and reflect on how far we have come, let us also note that we are not even close to achieving gender parity, despite the fact that Rwanda is a global leader in that aspect. Three decades ago, women in Rwanda couldn’t own land, get a job or own a bank account without their husband’s written consent. Ordinary women couldn’t pursue any career other than teaching and nursing, and that was also for the privileged, since not all girls could make it to secondary school. But we are now in 2023, and women can do everything they want, even if it means breaking records that their male counterparts haven’t. The World Economic Forum ranks Rwanda as the most gender-equal country in Africa and sixth in the world, but some may not know that about three decades ago, this wasn’t always the case. However, more can be done to achieve gender equality, such as having more women in decision making positions in government institutions, bridging gender gaps in agriculture, business, and more sectors where parity has not been achieved yet. A 2022 UN report shows that achieving full gender equality could take close to 300 years if the current rate of progress continues, but this can be scaled up with political will and mind-set change, two factors that are seen in Rwanda. This year’s IWD theme is: 'DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality', and since innovation is a pillar for the country’s economic growth and development, we need to prioritize making a safer, more inclusive and more equitable digital future. Although different policies to bridge the gender digital divide have been in place for decades now, more can be done to have everyone on board in ICT literacy and gadget ownership, for instance. The 2022 national census results show that 86.2 percent of men aged 21 years and above own mobile phones, contrary to 79 percent of women in the same age range. The gap of those who use the internet is also wide, where 21. 3 percent of men aged 21 and above used the internet, while women made up only 13.1 percent. Besides the gadget ownership and connectivity gap, online violence against women also remains a challenge, despite laws that punish cybercrimes. If not taken seriously, this kind of violence can even lead to self-harm, or incite physical violence. We are on the right track, but we need to do more to bridge the gender digital divide, as well as keep women safe online.
