About the Centre for Gender Studies(CGS)/ University of Rwanda

Founded in March 2009, the Centre for Gender Studies (CGS) is one of the Academic Centres within the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the University of Rwanda. It was created to support the Government of Rwanda’s objective of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment with the aim of training gender experts and practitioners, stimulating research and documentation in gender fields, as well as building the networks and partnerships needed to promote community gender awareness at the local, national, regional and international levels.

The Center for Gender Studies(CGS) engages in teaching, research and community outreach activities. It has a Master’s program in Gender and Development, and two PhD programs by research approved by the Rwanda Higher Education Council(HEC) two years ago, namely the PhD program in Gender Studies and the PhD in Gender and Development. The program is of international standard with staff drawn from Rwanda and abroad, including visiting professors, policy makers, and practitioners in gender.

CGS Programs and activities: Master of social sciences by course in Gender and Development, PhD by research in gender and development, PhD by research in gender studies, Short Courses, Research and Consultancies, Public Lectures.

1.Teaching: Courses are offered to national and international students. Currently, the CGS counts 10 students (3 men and 7 women) in MA program writing their thesis, and 22 new students for cohort 12 including 10 women and 12 men starting their courses on 15 November 2021. In the PhD Program we have 2 first students of last year (1 man and 1 woman) and 9 new applicants among them 5 women.

2.Research and Consultancies: Women’s rights (access to Education, health care, access to job, New technologies and ICT etc), gender equality and socioeconomic development (family and community), Women’s empowerment projects (sport, mining, business, politics, bank loans, etc). Vulnerable groups of women and development: poor women, disabled women, widows, women in prostitution. Men’s contribution to the process of gender equality: community engagement. Discrimination, Gender based violence, inequality

3.Partnership: The CGS has developed partnerships and collaborations with international and regional academic and non-academic institutions and carried out joint research, conferences, curriculum development, staff and students’ exchanges.

4.Possible careers for graduates: Government ministries and departments, Private sector organizations, INGO & NGO management, Policy analysis, design and evaluation, Research and consultancies in national, regional and international organizations, Academia.

5.Achievements: This year 18 students graduated from the CGS MA program. Previous graduates contribute to the country leadership. Joint Research with local/ international institutions. Gender responsive training manuals developed for local government institutions. Active participation in Gender Equality Community outreach activities

6.Challenges:  Lack of scholarship opportunities

7.Future perspective and vision: Rendering CGS a Centre of excellence in Practices related to mainstreaming Gender equality and Women’s empowerment. Strengths will put on monitoring the progress of the University Gender Policy, Gender clubs, translating research findings into community accessible message, develop gender specific performance indicators. Professional training and short courses training; Developing Gender Journals, Publications, Conferences and Seminars.

Dr Josephine Mukabera, Acting Director of CGS