On 12 May 2023, just one day after my colleague and I visited the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and presented the Gender Equality Seal to the Commissioner General and his deputy, a letter left RRA’s offices addressed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Such high-level engagement and commitment, characteristic of Rwanda, deserve recognition. In the letter, the institution expressed a simple but ambitious vision: to partner with UNDP and use the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions as a pathway towards embedding gender equality across its work.

Three years later, that vision has culminated in a historic achievement. RRA has become the first public institution in Africa to receive recognition under UNDP’s global Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions. The award was conferred on 11 November 2026 under the leadership of the UNDP Administrator, who also serves as a United Nations Under-Secretary-General.

The achievement is more than an institutional accolade. It tells the story of how one of Rwanda’s most strategic public institutions transformed itself from within while rethinking how tax administration can contribute to gender equality.

When RRA embarked on its Gender Equality Seal journey in 2024, it was already recognized for innovation in revenue collection. However, the institution sought to address a deeper question: how can a tax administration body become more inclusive for both its workforce and the taxpayers it serves?

Turning commitment into institutional reform

The answer emerged through a comprehensive programme of reforms. New gender-responsive policies and guidance were developed, including a Gender Equality Policy, a Gender Equality Action Plan, an Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy and Gender Mainstreaming Guidance for Tax Administration and Tax Reforms. Dedicated budgets were allocated; training on gender equality, sexual harassment, inclusive leadership and gender-sensitive communication was rolled out; and institutional mechanisms were established to strengthen accountability for gender equality.

These measures reflect a shift from treating gender equality as a stand-alone activity to integrating it into institutional planning, management, resource allocation and service delivery. Policies were supported by strengthened capacities, dedicated resources and mechanisms through which staff could raise concerns and seek redress.

A more inclusive workplace: leadership, safety and opportunity

Within the institution, the impact has been tangible. Employees now benefit from a workplace that increasingly supports equal opportunities, work-life balance and professional growth, while providing protection from discrimination and harassment. Awareness of reporting mechanisms has increased, gender-sensitive communication has become institutional practice, and women now occupy 44.4 per cent of senior leadership positions at RRA.

The reforms have also strengthened employees’ confidence that RRA is building a workplace where women and men can thrive, contribute and advance on merit.

RRA’s progress sits within a wider national context while also highlighting the work that remains. According to the World Bank Gender Data Portal, women held 63.8 per cent of seats in Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies in 2025. The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) September 2026 ranking records 51 women among the Chamber’s 80 members (63.8 per cent) and 12 women among 26 senators (46.2 per cent). At the same time, women accounted for 30.8 per cent of those employed in senior and middle management, according to the World Bank’s 2025 Rwanda profile. These indicators show why institutional leadership results, such as women’s 44.4 per cent representation in RRA’s senior leadership, matter alongside gains in national representation.

Making taxation work for gender equality

Perhaps the most significant outcome of this journey has been RRA’s efforts to make taxation work for gender equality. Through the UNDP-supported EQUANOMICS initiative, RRA examined gender gaps within the tax system and used evidence from sex-disaggregated data to inform action. The analysis informed programmes that reached women-owned businesses, particularly those run by cross-border traders and entrepreneurs, encouraging business formalization, tax compliance and greater participation in the formal economy.

The institution also expanded gender-responsive taxpayer education, strengthened the collection of sex-disaggregated statistics and initiated national conversations on how fiscal systems can better support women’s economic empowerment. This work aligns with the broader approach of UNDP’s EQUANOMICS initiative to advancing gender-responsive fiscal policy and public finance.

A gender-responsive tax system requires more than counting women taxpayers. It involves understanding how tax policies, compliance procedures, taxpayer information and the structure of the economy affect women and men differently. Sex-disaggregated data can help identify who is reached by taxpayer services, where barriers to formalization persist and whether reforms are expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

The evidence: assessment results and people reached

According to the independent evaluation conducted under the UNDP Gender Equality Seal, RRA met 25 of the 40 benchmarks and achieved a score of 61.4 points. The assessment recognized progress in planning and management for gender equality, institutional architecture, capacities and enabling work environments. The 25 benchmarks met represent 62.5 per cent of the 40-benchmark framework. The reported 61.4-point score is the evaluation score and is retained as stated in the assessment.

The assessment described RRA as a pioneer, noting that it was the first public institution in Rwanda and the first revenue authority in Africa to undergo the Gender Equality Seal assessment process.

Beyond institutional reforms, the journey has generated measurable results for individuals and public institutions across Rwanda. Through the UNDP-supported EQUANOMICS initiative and related capacity-building programmes, more than 1,488 direct beneficiaries were reached between 2023 and 2026. These included officials from RRA, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), Parliament and the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), as well as representatives of civil society, academia and the private sector.

The initiative strengthened the capacities of 101 parliamentarians and senators, trained 60 senior RRA managers and equipped 47 MINECOFIN officials with relevant skills. Within RRA itself, the transformation process has affected more than 1,150 staff through improved workplace policies, inclusive communication, stronger safeguards against discrimination and harassment, and enhanced opportunities for women’s leadership and career advancement. These figures illustrate the reach of the work across both the institution and the wider public finance ecosystem.

Rwanda’s national foundations for inclusive governance

RRA’s achievement reflects Rwanda’s broader commitment to gender equality and inclusive governance. Rwanda has institutionalized gender-responsive budgeting across public institutions. Its legal and policy framework requires public institutions to integrate gender priorities into planning and budgeting, including through gender budget statements.

Rwanda’s leadership is also reflected in representation: women hold 63.8 per cent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 46.2 per cent in the Senate, according to the IPU’s September 2026 data. The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda’s gender publications provide sex-disaggregated evidence across agriculture, access to finance, economic activity, education, health and decision-making.

Through institutions such as the Gender Monitoring Office, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), MINECOFIN and Parliament, Rwanda has strengthened accountability for gender equality and advanced gender-responsive policy and budgeting. The country’s experience demonstrates the importance of connecting representation and policy commitments to institutional systems, budgets, data and service delivery.

Further information: Gender Monitoring Office; Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion; National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda.

A continental milestone and a continuing responsibility

The award ceremony is scheduled for 11 November 2026 at UNDP headquarters in New York. RRA Commissioner General Ronald Niwenshuti is expected to reflect on the significance of the achievement: “Our journey demonstrates that gender equality is not only a human rights imperative, but also a driver of institutional excellence. By creating an inclusive workplace and integrating gender considerations into tax administration, we are building a stronger institution that serves all Rwandans more effectively.”

The recognition positions Rwanda as a continental leader in gender-responsive public sector reform and offers a model for other public institutions across Africa. Its significance lies not only in being first, but also in demonstrating how a public institution can connect workplace equality with the core functions through which it serves citizens.

What began with a letter of interest in May 2023 has evolved into a transformative movement within Rwanda’s tax administration. The award recognizes progress already made, but it is also a call to continue ensuring that public institutions work equally well for women and men, and that taxation becomes a tool not only for revenue collection but also for inclusive and sustainable development.

The next chapter: sustaining change and sharing the model

For RRA, the Gender Equality Seal is not the end of a journey. It is the foundation for the next chapter in making public service and public finance work for everyone. Sustaining these gains will require continued leadership commitment, adequate financing, reliable gender data, safe and inclusive workplaces, and the systematic application of gender analysis to tax policy and administration. Sharing the lessons with other revenue authorities and public institutions can help turn a national milestone into a wider continental contribution.

The author is the National Coordinator for Inclusive Governance at UNDP Rwanda and coordinator for the Equanomics project, under which the Gender Equality Seal is supported.