Rwanda's Revised National Gender Policy 2021: From Presence to Power-A Strategy for Deep Transformation

Rwanda's Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), in partnership with UN Women, has launched the Revised National Gender Policy (RNGP) 2021, marking a decisive shift from gender mainstreaming to gender transformation. Building on the achievements of the 2010 policy and aligned with Vision 2050, the National Strategy for Transformation (NST-2), and SDG 5, the RNGP moves beyond numerical representation to ensuring that both women and men hold the agency, resources, and influential capacity to shape Rwanda's national development. Anchored in eight guiding principles including human rights, social justice, inclusivity, accountability, and positive masculinity the policy sets four strategic priorities: Economic Justice, Social Transformation, Legal Empowerment, and Governance & Power Sharing. These priorities are designed to dismantle the structural, cultural, and legal barriers that continue to hinder equitable participation across all sectors of Rwandan society.

Implementation of the RNGP spans all 18 national sectors, organized across economic, social, and governance clusters, with agriculture and food systems identified as a priority area where targeted access to climate-resilient technology and markets is being extended to rural women. Accountability is maintained through the Gender Monitoring Office, mandatory Gender Budget Statements, and gender-transformative performance targets embedded in District Imihigo. Led by MIGEPROF in coordination with sector ministries, the private sector, civil society, and religious leaders, the policy calls on all Rwandans women, men, local leaders, and communities to champion shared decision-making and co-ownership of Rwanda's transformation. The RNGP envisions a nation where gender equality is living heartbeat of sustainable national prosperity.