By Andrew shyaka

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Uwimana Consolée, has emphasized that the limited presence of women in local leadership structures deprives the country of valuable contributions in decision-making.

She made the remarks on Thursday during the General Assembly of the Network of Rwandan Women Leaders in Local Government, which brought together women serving in various leadership roles at the grassroots level.

Minister Uwimana noted that local government institutions form the foundation of governance in Rwanda because they operate closest to citizens.

She stressed that the absence or limited participation of women in these structures weakens inclusive decision-making.

“Local government institutions are the backbone of governance because they are closest to the people. When women are not adequately represented in these structures to contribute to decisions that affect them, it becomes a loss for our society,” she said.

Statistics from the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) as of January 2026 show that women make up 41% of district council members and 30% of district mayors. Women also represent 30% of deputy district mayors in charge of economic affairs.

However, their representation remains lower in other local administrative positions. Women account for only 17% of executive secretaries at the sector level, 28% of cell leaders, and 39% of members serving on village executive committees.

Uwimana called for greater efforts to ensure women’s participation across all levels of local governance so they can actively contribute to shaping policies and decisions that affect communities.