Financial Experts and Policymakers Call for Bold ‘Action’ to Bridge the Gender Financing Gap in Rwanda

As the world commemorates International Women’s Day, financial experts and policymakers in Rwanda are intensifying their call for inclusive economic opportunities to bridge the persistent gender finance gap.

The call was made on Monday, March 16, 2026, during the 12th “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” ceremony hosted by the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE). The event brought together government officials, financial sector leaders, and development partners to advocate for stronger action toward women’s economic empowerment.

Opening the ceremony, Pierre Celestin Rwabukumba, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Stock Exchange emphasized that the annual initiative aligns Rwanda with stock exchanges around the world advocating for inclusive economies.

“Today, we join stock exchanges around the world in ringing the bell to highlight the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community,” Rwabukumba said.

This year’s global theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls” calls for moving beyond commitments toward tangible progress in advancing women’s economic participation.

Rwabukumba noted that Rwanda has demonstrated strong political will in promoting gender equality, pointing to the country’s global leadership in women’s representation, where they currently hold over 60 percent of seats in Rwanda’s parliament, the highest proportion globally.

Despite progress in political representation, significant gaps remain in economic participation, particularly in access to finance and leadership roles within the private sector

Hon. Consolée Uwimana, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, pointed out the disparity between public sector representation and private sector participation. While women own 34% of businesses in Rwanda, they occupy only 32% of decision-making roles in the private sector.

The Minister emphasized that the private sector is the “primary engine of economic growth,” yet women remain underrepresented in high-growth sectors like transport (4%) and construction (13.4%). “To bridge the gap, we must not only pledge but act,” Minister Uwimana stated.

She also called for stronger protection of women’s rights in the workplace and renewed efforts to close the gender pay gap to ensure “fairness” and “justice” across the financial ecosystem.

To bridge this gap, Romeo Ngarambe, the CEO of the Capital Market Authority of Rwanda (CMA) echoed this call for greater inclusion, especially in the financial sector, stressing that empowering women generates broad social and economic benefits.

Sharing a story from rural Rwanda, he described how a microfinance institution observed striking differences in how loans were used within households.

“When that same loan — same amount, same terms — was placed in the hands of a woman, something different happened. She paid school fees. She put food on the table. She fixed the roof,” he said. “And a generation later, the children from those households were healthier, better educated, and more economically independent.”

Research shared during the event shows that women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income back into their families and communities, making gender equality a major driver of sustainable development.

Rwanda is a global leader in gender equality, aiming to solidify these gains by 2030 through Vision 2050, focusing on economic empowerment and eradicating gender-based violence (GBV).

Gender Financing Gap is not an issue for only Rwanda but also globally as, according to UN Women, achieving gender equality requires closing a financing gap estimated at over 360 billion dollars annually.

“This is where capital markets and the private sector must play a decisive role.” Underscored Rwabukumba, the RSE CEO.

Launched globally in 2015, the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” initiative now involves more than 100 stock exchanges worldwide that participate annually around International Women’s Day, using the symbolic bell-ringing to promote gender-inclusive finance and corporate leadership.