Rwanda moves to strengthen care economy reforms to boost women’s economic participation

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

Policymakers, development partners, and civil society actors have called for accelerated action to transform Rwanda’s care economy, warning that persistent unpaid care burdens continue to limit women’s full participation in the economy.

The call was made during a high-level policy dialogue held on April 29, 2026, at Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, bringing together senior government officials, private sector representatives, academia, faith-based organisations, and the media.

The forum was organised by UN Women Rwanda Country Office in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), and focused on progress made in advancing the care economy agenda as well as remaining structural gaps.

Discussions highlighted that despite notable policy and legal reforms, unpaid care work continues to disproportionately fall on women, limiting their access to education, employment opportunities, and leadership roles.

An expert panel comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Gender Monitoring Office, RWAMREC, and the Development Bank of Rwanda examined systemic barriers and proposed solutions, including improved financing for women, integrated care systems, and targeted policy interventions.

Participants also emphasized the need to shift social norms around care work and invest in scalable programmes that redistribute care responsibilities more equitably.

Speaking during the discussions, a UN Women representative warned that the impact of unpaid care work extends beyond households.

“When unpaid care limits women from fully engaging in education, employment, and leadership, the impact goes beyond individual households to national productivity and development outcomes,” she noted.

Stakeholders reaffirmed that advancing the care economy is critical to achieving gender equality and sustaining inclusive economic growth, calling for stronger multi-sector coordination to accelerate progress.

The dialogue concluded with renewed commitments to position care work as a central pillar of Rwanda’s socio-economic transformation agenda.

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