Gender-Related Factors Influencing Female Students’ Participation in Higher Education in Rwanda

Abstract

Rwanda is widely seen as one of the most progressive countries in the world
with regard to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. In
education for example, girls’ access to primary and secondary education is
among the highest in Africa. However, female students’ participation remains
limited in public universities and they constitute only around a third of the
student population at the University of Rwanda. This article explores the factors
that influence female students’ participation in public higher education in the
country. It draws from a study commissioned by the University of Rwanda
on the causes of low female enrolment at the institution that was conducted
between 2016 and 2017 . The study employed a mixed methods approach,
and data was gathered by means of questionnaires, in-depth interviews and
focus group discussions. The results revealed interlinked structural (such as
university policies) and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the exclusion
of female students from Rwanda’s top university. Given the complexities
involved, this calls for a multi-pronged approach to address the issue of female
representation at the University.