Advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion - UNDP

Advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion through Religious and Civil Society Engagement seeks to promote transformative change in Rwanda by challenging harmful gender norms and strengthening the collaboration between religious leaders and civil society organizations (CSOs), particularly women’s rights organizations (WROs). Despite Rwanda’s strong policy commitments to gender equality, socio-cultural and religious beliefs continue to perpetuate gender-based violence (GBV), limit access to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and reinforce rigid gender roles that marginalize women and girls while discouraging male involvement in caregiving and equitable family roles.

Religious leaders wield significant moral and social influence, yet many remain under-engaged in efforts to promote gender equality. Simultaneously, feminist and women-led organizations face institutional and technical challenges that limit their ability to engage these leaders in meaningful, evidence-based advocacy. This project bridges that gap by fostering strategic partnerships, building capacity, and encouraging inclusive dialogue.

The initiative will include consultative meetings with key faith-based institutions, a high-level breakfast dialogue with religious leaders and feminist activists, and a capacity-building workshop for WROs on feminist principles and gender-transformative advocacy. In addition, a simple communication strategy will be developed to raise awareness of feminist principles via social media.

By integrating the influence of faith leaders with the technical expertise and grassroots reach of feminist organizations, the project will increase opportunities to challenge harmful norms, empower WROs, and strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration. This holistic, inclusive approach aims to drive long-lasting, community-based progress toward gender equality and social justice in Rwanda.