ISSN: 2616-7506 Gender Equality in Rwanda: What remains a stumbling block to full realization of gender parity in education Philothere Ntawiha 1 , Alphonse Benegusenga 2 , Wenceslas Nzabalirwa 3 , Gaspard Gaparayi 4 & Justin Nshimiyimana 5 1,2,3&4 University of Rwanda-College of Education, 5 Kibogora Polytechnic Corresponding author address:juwerra@gmail.com tel: 0788685688 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS • By the school year 2015/2016, female learners were 50.5% in primary schools, 52.8% in secondary schools, 41.81% in TVT, and43.4% in tertiary education. • Factors contributing to the progress made to gender equality include: elimination of school fees, recruitment of more female teachers/education agents, reforming curricula and textbooks from gender perspective, establishing gender sensitive infrastructure, and creating girls’ schools. • Challenges to gender parity in Rwanda include among others poverty, traditional socio- cultural practices and beliefs, women under-representation in teaching staff, and violence against women. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Kibogora Polytechnic Scientific Journal 1 (2018) 72–86 KIBOGORA POLYTECHNIC SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL Available online at www.kp.ac.rw Gender Equality in Rwanda: What remains a stumbling block to full realization of gender parity? To find out progress made towards gender equality To identify Factors contributing to the progress Find out challenges to gender parity Review of reports, statistics yearbooks, other documents Elimination of school fees, recruitment of female educationists, reforming curricula and textbooks, establishing gender sensitive infrastructure, and creating girls’ schools contributed to this progress. By 2015/2016, female learners were 50.5% in primary schools, 52.8% in secondary schools, 41.81% in TVT, and43.4% in tertiary education. Poverty, traditional socio- cultural practices and beliefs, women under- representation in teaching staff, and violence against women are obstacles to gender parity - The number of girls outnumbered that of boys except in TVT and tertiary education - Elimination of school fees, reform in curriculum and textbooks and infrastructure facilitated this progress -Poverty, traditional beliefs and violence against girls are stumbling block to gender parity. -To encourage girls to enroll in TVT and tertiary education -To cover indirect and hidden costs of education for girls -To provide more conducive infrastructures and amenities Objective Methodolog y Finding s Recommendations Conclusion