At least 68.9% of Rwandan households are engaged in agricultural activities and 94.8% of women farmers have access to land compared to 93.7% of men. With regard to access to finance, 85% of women saved money in 2020 while the same figure was 87% for men. By 2024, women’s formal non−bank savings grew from 44% to 53%, while men’s savings increased from 54% to 65%.
Bank loans for women increased from 7% to 8% in 2024 while for men, it rose from 10% to 13%. Ownership of dwellings among female−headed households was at 71.1% while access to improved drinking was at 81.4% by 2022. Among male headed households, these percentages were respectively 71.9% and 82.7%.
The percentage of female− headed households using electricity for lighting rose from 11.9% in 2012 to 41.1% in 2022 while for male headed households, this percentage increased from 18.8% in 2012 to 49.6% in 2022 in the same period. Regarding computer literacy, 9.6% of women are computer literate compared to 14.7% of men.
The data show a downfall in women’s labor force participation, from 58.2% in 2020 to 52.2% in 2023, while men’s participation increased from 65.6% to 67.5%. Regarding time use, women spend more time on unpaid works, averaging 24 hours a week compared to 13.6 hours for men. In informal cross−border trade, women predominate with 69.2% involvement in 2022, while the rate was 30.8% for men.
In governance, female representation in the cabinet decreased from 36.8% in 2014 to 31.25% in in 2024, while in the Chamber of deputies, women hold 63.3% of seats and 53.8% in the Senate by 2024. In the justice sector, 52% of primary court judges are women, while they occupy 48% of national prosecutors. The data show that media sector remains male−dominated, with 23.9% of accredited journalists being female.