LocationsMaking gender equality work: how Africa’s public institutions are leading the shift
October 22, 2025
Making gender equality work: how Africa’s public institutions are leading the shift
Across the region, governments and public institutions are driving Africa’s transformation in inclusive and accountable ways. Gender equality is at the heart of this transformation, from trade to women’s empowerment and women’s participation, public institutions are putting commitments into practice, with UNDP providing support throughout the process. At the centre of this transformation is an innovative certification programme that changes how institutions operate.
Introducing the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions.
The Gender Equality Seal programme is designed to help public institutions identify and address gender equality gaps. It serves as a catalyst for institutional change. By supporting the adoption of internationally validated standards to advance gender inclusiveness in leadership, policies and workplace practices, it enables institutions to shift how they operate and lead by example. The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions has been rolled out in 27+ African countries with 60+ public institutions actively engaged in the certification process.
Change is taking shape across the board, with public institutions from universities, standard bodies and national ministries to Regional Economic Communities (RECs) championing this change. Countries across Africa, including Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Cabo Verde, Malawi, The Gambia, Ghana, Madagascar and Nigeria are working with public bodies to review internal practices and take concrete steps towards building more gender-responsive institutions. Rwanda has taken additional steps by institutionalizing the gender equality seal dimensions, standards and benchmarks into national standards to sustain the results
Rwanda: from commitments to systems change
Since 2018, Rwanda has not only adopted the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, but it has also embedded it into the very fabric of its governance. Supported by UNDP, the Government of Rwanda began piloting the Seal across ministries and agencies to drive internal transformation and gender-responsive public service delivery.
At the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), Deputy Director General Elisabeth Ujeneza led a sweeping review of 13 policies, most of which had been developed without a gender lens. “We reviewed 13 policies line by line and corrected gaps” she explained. These efforts helped ensure that Rwanda’s digital economy and trade sectors included women traders who had long been excluded from policy considerations. The changes marked a shift in how gender is integrated into economic decision-making.
The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) used the Seal as an opportunity to assess who was benefiting from national programmes, and who was not. NIRDA’s Director General Annet Mukayiranga noted; “We focused on increasing visibility and creating opportunities for women to step into leadership roles,” These policy changes were matched by concrete workplace improvements including new parental leave policies and creating a mothers’ room to support nursing mothers.
At the Rwanda Energy Group (REG), the impact extended beyond policy to workplace culture. “It’s not just about policies,” said REG’s CEO Armand Zingiro. “It’s about creating a respectful and safe working environment where women can thrive.” The organization introduced breastfeeding rooms, provided transport support for working mothers, and expanded women’s participation in technical roles, contributing to higher staff satisfaction and retention. These examples underscore that the Gender Equality Seal a platform for rethinking how institutions function, and who they serve.
From certification to national standard: advancing ownership and sustainability
Rwanda’s commitment did not stop at institutional reforms. In 2023, the government took a bold step forward by launching RS 560:2023: Gender equality requirements for promotion, implementation and accountability, the first National Standard of its kind in Africa. Developed in partnership with the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), UNDP, UN Women, and the Private Sector Federation (PSF), the standard elevates the Gender Equality Seal from a voluntary certification programme to a national accountability framework. RS 560:2023 sets measurable requirements for gender equality across public and private institutions, spanning recruitment, budgeting, service delivery and workplace culture, providing a clear benchmark for inclusive governance. Launched on October 8th, 2025, on the margins of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) General Assembly in Kigali, RSB certified and awarded the first cohort of 25 companies under the new standard.
By embedding these principles in national policy, Rwanda has moved from piloting to permanent systems change. “We see this standard not as an end in itself,” said Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, UNDP Rwanda’s Resident Representative, “but as a catalyst for deeper transformation; a tool that supports organizations in translating gender commitments into measurable, certifiable action.”
We see this standard not as an end in itself but as a catalyst for deeper transformation; a tool that supports organizations in translating gender commitments into measurable, certifiable action.Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, UNDP Rwanda Resident Representative
“The development of that standard strengthened Rwanda’s position and that of the African continent, ranked among the benchmark standardizing tools in consideration worldwide,” said Raymond Murenzi, Director General RSB. The Gender Seal Certification programme is an outstanding pillar to build on and move forward to ensure the sustainability of the achievements through the development of the Gender Equality Standard and its implementing tools such as the certification scheme”.
The Gender Seal Certification programme is an outstanding pillar to build on and move forward to ensure the sustainability of the achievements through the development of the Gender Equality Standard and its implementing tools such as the certification scheme.Raymond Murenzi, Director General RSB
Rwanda’s approach provides useful insights that other countries are already drawing from. The Gender Equality Seal allows public institutions to move from intention to transformation, helping institutions better serve girls, boys, men and women while setting examples for others. For countries across Africa, this provides a blueprint that shows that everyone benefits when systems are built for equality.
UNDP’s support to the Government of Rwanda in operationalizing the Gender Equality Seal has been catalytic, drawing adoption by other partners. In Rwanda, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported SMES to get involved and achieve gender seal certification, while GIZ is continually supporting SMEs and Civil Society Organizations to be enrolled and implement the gender seal programme. This growing coalition signals government ownership, and creates a pathway to scale, with UNDP as initiator, convener and technical partner.