Success Stories

Recently, Rwanda conducted elections for the Presidency and the parliament had a referendum on a new constitution. For the first time in Rwanda's history, free and fair elections were held. The new constitution guarantees a minimum of 30 percent of parliamentary seats and other leadership positions to women. Today, Rwanda has the highest number of women parliamentarians in the world with women constituting nearly 50 percent in the Chamber of Deputies and about 35 percent in the Senate. The Government of Rwanda also has 34 percent of women in its Cabinet. UNDP has been supporting the Rwanda Parliament, in particular the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum. In February 2007, the Forum held an international conference to share its experiences and to forge partnerships with development allies in the area of nation building. Speakers at the conference agreed that women play a critical role in the development of nations and in the attainment of the MDGs.

UNDP assisted Kuwait as women participated in parliamentary elections for the first time ever in 2006. Before and during the poll, UNDP partnered with civil society organizations to help prepare women running as candidates and to disseminate information about voting so that all women who wanted to vote could do so. Billboards, posters on buses and advertisements on television urged women to let their voices be heard. A leading expert on Islamic law came from Morocco to hold a series of seminars on Islam and women's political participation. In the end, no women candidates won seats in the new Parliament, but 35 percent of eligible women voted, a participation rate higher than in some long-established democracies.

Last updated 1 November 2007