Democracy in Rwanda | Women take 55 percent of seats in Parliament

During elections held earlier this week, women in Rwanda increased their presence in Parliament from 48.8 percent, first achieved in 2003, to 55 percent, based on figures released by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) published in The New Times. Not surprisingly, the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) won 78 percent of the vote, with turnout reported at 98.5 percent of the 4,769,228 registered to vote, of which 55 percent are women. According to a statement released by the EU Election Observation Mission, elections were conducted peacefully, and freedom of assembly at local level was well-respected. Rules and procedures, however, were not properly followed in about half the Polling Centers observed, although it is unclear from the statement if these were minor infractions or incidents of concern. Serious questions have been raised about the democratization process in Rwanda, particularly the political dominance of the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) and President Kagame. The landslide victory of the RPF might reinforce this assumption and the bizarre number of women in Parliament may seem irrelevant. In Rwanda, the implications of the latest elections are not that simple. The results reflect the ways in which the government has sought to overcome ethnic division and genocide ideology, and may provide, at the very least, some interesting insights for peacebuilding and reconciliation in deeply divided societies. Rwanda has developed a unique governance strategy, working closely with international development agencies and consultants, to promote decentralization and gender equality as an alternative to an ethnic-based power-sharing arrangement. From this distinct approach to democratization, Rwanda has adopted electoral mechanisms and affirmative action policies that have allowed women access to over half the seats in Parliament. While the capacity of Parliament remains low, the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum was able to introduce the first piece of legislation to originate in Parliament in August 2006. The success of the Gender-Based Violence Bill has created a steeper learning curve for women in the public sector to become engaged and take ownership of policy outcomes. Rwanda is in mid-step and needs the full support of the international community to ensure that democratization is implemented in a thorough manner. The priorities should continue to be civic education, rule of law, and civil society so that the population has the necessary tools to hold the government accountable. Remarkably, it is women in Rwanda who have taken the lead in Parliament. They now represent a source of reconciliation and hope for a population still traumatized by the genocide.