Rwanda's leader names 50 per cent female cabinet

Rwanda has announced that women now make up half of the East African nation's 26-seat cabinet, just two days after a similar move by Ethiopia.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame. Source: AAP

Two days after Ethiopia announced one of the world's few "gender-balanced" cabinets with 50 per cent women, Rwanda has done the same.

On Thursday, President Paul Kagame announced that women now make up half of the slimmed-down, 26-seat cabinet.
Rwanda joins a handful of countries, mostly European, where women make up 50 per cent or more of ministerial positions, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women.

The country has received international recognition for female representation in government, with women making up 61 per cent of parliament members.

Ethiopia's move earlier this week was the latest in a series of dramatic political and economic reforms under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who took office in April.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world