Rwanda - On March 8, 2023, Rwanda joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day under the theme "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." This year's celebration aims to highlight the role of innovation and technology in advancing gender equality and empowering women.

At national level, the ceremonies were held in Nyagatare District, Nyagatare Sector, Barija Cell, Barija B Village where different officials joined residents to acknowledge the transformative power of digital technologies in creating new opportunities for women and girls, including access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, and ensuring that women and girls have equal access to and use of digital technology.

The Government of Rwanda has made great effort in the digital interventions and the promotion of gender equality and participation of women in the digital economy, increasing the number of women in ICT and in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (also known as STEM), as well as establishing the ICT facilities including one laptop per child, coding school, among others.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Minister of ICT and Innovation Hon. Ingabire Paula emphasized on the importance of celebrating women's achievements and empowering them to take on leadership roles in ICT sector.

"International Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in our society. A digital economy without the full participation of women cannot scale to reach its full potential. We need to keep empowering women in the technology sector and ensure that they have equal access to education, training, employment opportunities, digital financial services and access to information. This is not only the right thing to do, but it is also crucial for the development of our country." Said Minister Ingabire Paula

The President of National Women’s Council reiterated on the statistics of women in digital area, saying that in Rwanda, the proportion of women aged 15-49 years who own a telephone stand at 48 % compared to 62 % of men. In urban areas, women living who own smartphones are 76 % against 41% in rural areas, (DHS 2020). She called on all stakeholders to invest much in the digitalization of women, and urged women to grab the opportunity and get involved to benefit that chance

International Women's Day is a global day that celebrates the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. It also raises awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the need for women's rights around the world.