International Journal of Scientific Research and Modern Education (IJSRME) Impact Factor: 7.137, ISSN (Online): 2455 – 5630 (www.rdmodernresearch.com) Volume 8, Issue 1, 2023 22 A REVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF VISION 2020 UMURENGE PROGRAM ON WOMEN’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE RUSIGA SECTOR, RULINDO DISTRICT, RWANDA Prof. Dr. Mbonigaba Celestin* & Dr. Hategekimana Jean Paul** * Education Professional, Mediation and Anti-Corruption Ambassador, Professor, International & National Award Winner, Human Right Activist, Public-Private Business and Educational Consultant ** Researcher and Advisor, Department of Business, Brainae University, Delaware, United States of America Cite This Article: Prof. Dr. Mbonigaba Celestin & Dr. Hategekimana Jean Paul, “A Review of the Impact of Vision 2020 Umurenge Program on Women‟s Socio-Economic Development in the Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District, Rwanda”, International Journal of Scientific Research and Modern Education, Volume 8, Issue 1, Page Number 22-28, 2023. Copy Right: © IJSRME, 2023 (All Rights Reserved). This is an Open Access Article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract: The Vision 2020 Umurenge Program is one of three flagship programs of the National Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy aimed to eradicate extreme poverty by 2020. An interim target of the program is to lower extreme poverty from 36.9% (2006) to 24% by 2012. Rwanda introduced a comprehensive social protection system in 2016 that tackles multi-dimensional poverty and deprivation at the outset by adapting a defined minimum package which combines both core and complementary social protection programs that aim to enhance beneficiary sustained graduation out of poverty. The study reviewed the impact of Vision 2020 Umurenge Program to socio-economic development of Women in Rusiga Sector. The descriptive, and correlation research designs were applied in this study, while target population was 171 females benefited from VUP program in Rusiga sector. The sample size was 120 respondents, and correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis used to assess relationship between the study variables. The findings revealed that there is a positive and strong correlation between VUP Public works and socio-economic development of women beneficiaries in Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District as Pearson correlation is .631**; positive and strong correlation between VUP Direct Support and socio-economic development of women beneficiaries in Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District correlation is .551** ; VUP Direct support and socio-economic development of women beneficiaries in Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District, and the positive and strong correlation between VUP financial services and socio-economic development of women beneficiaries in Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District as indicated by Pearson correlation of .521** with the p-value of 0.000, which is less than standard significance level of 0.01. Based to the findings, all null hypotheses were rejected, and alternative hypotheses were retained which stated that Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP financial services, VUP direct support, VUP public works) have significant impact on socio-economic development of women beneficiaries in Rusiga Sector, Rulindo District. Key Words: Vision 2020 Umurenge Program, Socio-Economic, Development Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa, development assistance has consequently become inextricably linked to the elaboration of internationally-accepted poverty reduction strategies which also addresses the social and environmental concerns laid out in the MDGs. The internal development policies of many of the poorest countries mirror this „global‟ poverty reduction agenda, particularly where dependency on external resources is high. Rwanda is a landlocked country facing rapid population growth. In that regard, the government of Rwanda has developed a road map for sustainable development aiming at attaining the status of middle-income countries by the year 2020. To achieve this ambitious goal the government of Rwanda has developed numerous programs to this effect. Rwandan society is characterized by a patriarchal social structure that underlies the unequal social power relations between men and women, boys and girls. This has translated into men‟s dominance and women‟s subordination. Gender inequalities have not been seen as unjust, but as respected social normality. In the colonial era, men‟s supremacy over women was reinforced. For example, the abrupt shift from a subsistence economy to monetary economy based on paid employment and a formal education system, weakened women‟s position relative to that of men. In particular, it weakened their bargaining position on matters concerning their access to and control over resources and the degree of their level of participation in the development process. (MIGEPROF, 2010). Despite success achieved by the program, the graduation approach for VUP household beneficiaries remains a challenge. In 2016, Rwanda introduced a comprehensive social protection system that tackles multi- dimensional poverty and deprivation at the outset by adapting a defined minimum package which combines both core and complementary social protection programs that aim to enhance beneficiary sustained graduation out of