Happy International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Arsenal Women and leaders from Rwanda have come together to call on everyone to challenge stereotypes and lead the way for the next generation.
Watch our #ChooseToChallenge message.
Visit Rwanda and Arsenal Women are also encouraging women and girls to get involved in sport, and to call for gender equality. Join Anna Patten and Malin Gut for this special #ChooseToChallenge skills session.
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Meet Rwanda’s Women Leaders
For more than two decades, Rwanda has been working to ensure gender equality and to empower women to achieve their full potential. Meet three leaders who are excelling in their fields and inspiring the next generation of pilots, football players and leaders in Rwanda.
Women in Leadership
Hon. Aurore Mimosa Munyagaju
Hon. Aurore Mimosa Munyagaju is Rwanda’s Minister of Sports. She holds a Master’s Degree in Project Management from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands. Prior to her appointment, Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju was the Chief Executive Officer of SONARWA Life Insurance.
At a young age, Minister Mimosa always took an interest in sports. She started out playing volleyball and basketball, then joined her school basketball team which propelled her into a lifelong passion for the game. She also joined the national league playing in different clubs. Minister Mimosa still actively plays basketball whenever she gets time.
Women in Aviation
Esther Mbabazi
Esther Mbabazi is Rwandan’s first female commercial pilot with over 10 year of experience in the aviation industry. She has a deep passion for inspiring young women into become the next generation of aviators, and is currently a First Officer at RwandAir on the Airbus 330. She operates on long haul routes linking Rwanda to the Far East, Middle East and Europe including flights across RwandAir’s network on the continent of Africa.
Esther holds a Private Pilot’s License from the East African Civil Aviation Academy in Soroti, Uganda, an Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot License from the Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, an A type rating on the CRJ 900 from the Bombardier Centre Montréal-Canada and also an A type rating on the Airbus330 from the Airbus Training Centre in Toulouse, France. She completed a command course and received the FAA Air Transport Pilot License at Aerostar in Orlando, Florida. She is one of Rwanda’s aviation pioneers and is working to grow the aviation industry in her country.
Women in Sports
Joselyne Mukantaganira
Growing up in Ruhango District in Rwanda’s Southern Province, Joselyne enjoyed playing football because it helped her in her day-to-day life – both in supporting her academic studies and overcoming any challenges she faced. After many years of playing, she began her football career in 2015.
Joselyne became a member of Rwanda’s national women’s team in 2016 and now also plays for the Association Sportive de Kigali (AS Kigali) – a club based in the country’s capital city. She was part of Rwanda’s winning team at the 2016 Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Championship, beating Kenya to win the cup.
Joselyne is grateful for the opportunities football has provided, including making new friends, staying healthy and travelling around the world to play in competitions. She encourages all women to get involved in sports as part of living a healthy lifestyle and reaching their full potential.
Five Facts on Rwanda's Journey to Gender Equality
- Rwanda has prioritised women’s participation in decision making and today 61.3% of the country’s Parliamentarians are women.
- Rwanda is ranked 9th globally for its progressive efforts to close the gender gap (Global Gender Gap Report, 2020).
- Rwanda was ranked the best place to be a woman in Africa and 6th globally (Global Competitiveness Report, 2015)
- Women make up 52% of the national Cabinet. Meet the Ministers here.
- Rwanda is the first country of its income level to provide free universal access for the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls.
