UN Women Rwanda Launches $6 Million Plan to Empower Women

Kigali 5 February 2026 - UN Women Rwanda has unveiled a new strategic plan for 2026-2029, allocating up to $6.3 million (over 9.17 billion Frw) to promote women’s empowerment, particularly in rural areas, and address gaps across multiple sectors. Of the planned budget, $3.5 million (55%) has already been secured. The remaining funds will be mobilized through partnerships with banks and financial institutions, including the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), Equity Bank, I&M Bank, and government agencies. The Director of UN Women Rwanda, Jennet Kem, emphasized collaboration with financial and governmental partners to expand opportunities for women, stating:"The fact that the government is here alone means that we have the strength, it will help us to see in its capacity how we can work together to continue to develop women." The Minister of Gender and Family Development, Uwimana Consolée, highlighted the importance of partnerships for advancing women's programs, noting:"In these times when the world seems to not have enough money, there are ways we can collaborate and work together, and these activities are for Rwandans." UN Women Rwanda provides training in governance, self-development, and combating violence, among other initiatives. Between 2020-2025, the agency trained over 85,000 people on gender-based violence, assisted 35,000 individuals (26,570 women and 8,876 men), helped 9,000 women access loans, and supported 3,000 women in starting small and medium-sized enterprises. The UN Country Coordinator in Rwanda, Ozonnia Ojielo, praised Rwanda’s progress in women’s development, emphasizing the importance of sustaining economic growth to ensure women are not left behind. She said:"Rwanda now needs a better way to help it grow its economy… it needs to have a stable economy itself, which will help it go far." UN Women first arrived in Rwanda in 1996 as UNIFEM and was rebranded in 2010. Its core mission remains the promotion of gender equality, women’s development, and the fight against violence.