Kigali, Tuesday, 11 October 2022 - The 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its related meetings kicked off on Tuesday in Kigali bringing together more than 1000 delegates, including 60 Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Parliaments from across the globe.

Held under the general theme “Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world”, the five-day meetings will facilitate exchanges on good practices to make parliaments more gender-sensitive as well as encouraging parliaments to pledge transformative action.

In his opening remarks President Paul Kagame reiterated the need to ensure full participation of women in parliaments and and all leadership positions.

“All over the world, parliaments exist to protect the interest of citizens. This objective cannot be met, without the full and active participation of women in our parliaments, especially in leadership positions. The fight against gender inequality is a shared responsibility, and men have a duty to speak up, and not just be bystanders” President Kagame said.

During the meetings, Rwanda will share her best practices in promoting gender equality in parliament. In 2008, the Rwanda Chamber of Deputies was the first elected national parliament with more women than men. With the proportion of MPs who are women standing at 61.25% today, well above the current global average of 26.4%, Rwanda has been at the top of the IPU’s monthly ranking of women in national parliaments for years. Rwanda also has a relatively young parliament, with half of its deputies under 45 years old, well above the global average of 29.85%, also tracked by the IPU.

For more updates on the 145th IPU assembly visit Rwanda Parliament website and follow its social networks. 

You can also view and download photos here