Women rule Rwanda parliament after latest elections

In July, Rwandan elections saw women win a whopping 63.8% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the best result in the world.

Such an achievement is surprising considering that countries like the United States and European countries struggle to achieve even a similar result.

Rwanda, a small country in central-eastern Africa with a population of over 13 million, surprises the world with its approach to gender equality.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not Western countries, but Rwanda that has broken the record for gender equality in politics.

Rwanda has been working for women's equality for years

Rwanda's history is full of difficulties. In 1994, one of the greatest crimes against humanity since World War II took place there, when Hutu extremists carried out a massacre of the Tutsi population.

As a result of these events, about a million citizens, mostly men, died. After the end of the conflict, women made up 70% of the population, which contributed to their current dominance in politics.

The Rwandan government has made a conscious effort to promote women's rights. In 2003, it guaranteed women 30% of seats in parliament and equal pay for women. The recent elections have only confirmed the importance of women in the country's politics.

Currently, the Rwandan Chamber of Deputies has 80 members, of whom 51 are women. In addition, 13 of the 32 ministerial positions in the government are also filled by women.

Only Iceland can compete with this African country, where women make up almost 50% of the parliament.

This article was originally published on Onet Woman.