Rwanda is the only country in the world with a female majority in parliament, as women hold 56 percent of parliamentary seats (45 out of 80).
The rise of women in power is in part due to the country’s electoral quota (30 percent female), and partly a consequence of male deaths during the country’s 1994 genocide. Women comprise 55 percent of the Rwandan population as a whole.
Worldfocus special correspondent Martin Seemungal travels to Rwanda, a country recovering from its terrible genocide with the help of some very powerful women.
Blogger Andrea Friedman at “The Huffington Post” writes in support of gender quotas, arguing that they foster change.
The “African Studies Blog” links to an article claiming that though women are participating more and more in politics, they are not able to influence policymaking.
Writer “Dana Liebelson” discusses Rwandan gender politics in the context of American politics and the state of women in other African nations, arguing that women are viewed in black-and-white terms as either “equal citizen or victim.”
Watch a female member of the Rwandan parliament talk about her experience.
Stephen F. DeAngelis outlines the contributions of women to the Rwandan economy and traces a short history of gender roles in the country. The Washington Post published a video about Rwandan women and the economy.
In the U.S., about 17 percent of national government officials are women.
05/27/2009 :: 09:29:01 AM
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[...] WorldFocus: Rwanda is the only country in the world with a female majority in parliament, as women hold 56 [...]