Rwanda

Chamber of DeputiesSenate

Chamber of Deputies

Historical data on women

Data on women’s right to vote and to stand for election, the date at which the first woman entered parliament, and female Heads of State or Government

Women's suffrage

Date of independence For countries that become independent after 1940
1962
Women’s right to vote
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1961
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
Prior to independence, the Legislative Decree of Rwanda - Urundi (L.D.R.U.) N° 02/269, issued by the Belgian administration of the UN Trust territory on 17 August 1961 (and first exercised in the legislative elections on 25 September 1961) granted universal suffrage to women. This right was confirmed at independence when suffrage was granted in the 1962 Constitution.
Women’s right to stand for election
Women's right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1961
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions Stand for Election: Restrictions detail
Right to stand for election was granted for all positions except that of President (granted in 1978, in the new constitution)
Women's right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1978
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Stand for Election : Restricted or Universal
Universal
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament Year in which first woman entered parliament
1981
First woman speaker
Year of first woman speaker Date at which, for the first time in the country's parliamentary history, a woman became Presiding Officer of Parliament or of one of its Houses.
2008