Rwanda

Senate

Political system
Presidential-Parliamentary
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes

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
1962
Year of first woman in parliament
1981
Year of first woman speaker
2008

Women’s right to vote

Women’s right to vote
1961
National or local
National
Restricted or universal suffrage
Universal

Notes: 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
1961
National or local
National
Restricted or universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions
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
1978
National or local
National
Restricted or universal
Universal

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No