Rwanda Women-Led Enterprises Rise to 39.9%, Report Says

The share of enterprises managed by women in Rwanda has increased by 7.3 percentage points, rising from 32.6 per cent in 2017 to 39.9 per cent in 2023, according to the latest Gender Thematic Report based on the 2023 Establishment Census.

The women-managed business increased by 38.7 per cent, while the men-managed business increased by 14.3 per cent between 2017 and 2020. This trend continued through 2020-2023, as women-run businesses grew 24.7 per cent, compared to 10.9 per cent growth for male-run businesses.

The report, which was released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) on Monday, 27/07, indicates that the number of business enterprises operated by women went up from 60,786 in 2017 to 104,316 in 2023.

In the same period, the number of businesses runs by males increased from 125,662 to 157,082, thus showing that businesses run by women are growing even faster.

Key Highlights:

• Women-managed enterprises increased from 32.6% in 2017 to 39.9% in 2023
• Women-run businesses grew faster than male-run businesses between 2017 and 2023
• Women had the highest representation in wholesale and retail trade (44.6%), with most operating micro enterprises

Men still control the majority of enterprises in Rwanda, representing 60.1 per cent of enterprises, as women's enterprises make up 39.9 per cent. As businesses increase in size, the gap tends to widen.

Women's participation in the micro enterprises (1-3 workers) is 40.8 per cent, 30.3 per cent in small enterprises, 22.7 per cent in medium enterprises and 10.8 per cent in large enterprises (of 100 workers or more).

An urban-rural divide is also evident in the report. 66,341 enterprises are run by women compared with 64,655 run by men in urban areas. However, in rural areas 92,427 enterprises are run by men while 37,975 are run by women.

In wholesale and retail trade, including motor vehicle and motorcycle repair, women run 44.6 per cent of businesses, the highest proportion of all industries.

Accommodation and food services come after them, with 33.7 per cent of women running businesses in this sector. The only sector where women outnumber men is administrative and support service activities, with 52.8 per cent of enterprise managers being female.

In a few capital intensive and technical areas, men still outnumber women. They run 88 per cent of construction firms, 83.7 per cent of mining and quarrying firms, 79 per cent of transport and storage businesses and 77.9 per cent of information and communication businesses.

The majority of women's businesses are micro businesses. They make up 94.4 per cent of all women's enterprises, and medium and large enterprises make up less than one per cent.