Rwanda is the only country in the world where women hold a majority in parliament. Rwanda has empowered women and the country is seeing the benefits – recently jumping 76 spots on the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.

Clinton Praises Rwanda for Womens’ Rights

In an interview this month before his 2009 Global Initiative Meeting, President Bill Clinton spoke about Rwanda’s economic progress and its correlation to the advancement of women’s rights. During the interview Clinton says, “Its no accident that Rwanda has quadrupled its per capita income in the last 10 years – Its the only parliament in the world that is a majority female and women have total access to the economic and political life of the country.”

Former President Bill Clinton in Rwanda - Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images For The Clinton Foundation

 

 

Urwego Opportunity International Bank Empowers Women

UOB, a for profit micro-finance bank that serves Rwanda’s economically active poor, has 39,140 active clients with 85% of these being women. Rwanda has worked to open up banking restrictions to empower women financially. UOB was one of the first institutions to provide service to the poor- female population. With this aid, women are able to support their families more efficiently. Quoted on the UOB site, http://www.uomb.org/ , is a women named Consolee’ who says, “I no longer sit at home. Working with Urwego Opportunity Bank of Rwanda has opened up my mind and made me more self reliant.”

Dabbs Cavin, a B2R board member, served as the original CEO of UOB. Along with Dabbs, Dale Dawson currently serves on the UOB board. B2R is  partnering with UOB to find business interns to work with the bank CEO. If interested check under the ‘Jobs’ tab on the home page.