Institutionalising gender and social inclusion in TVET in Rwanda

The Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) coordinates secondary-level Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to ensure it responds effectively to national development priorities and labour market needs. In line with key national policies on education and gender equality, the TVET sector aims to increase the number of women in teaching and training roles, particularly in traditionally male-dominated trades, and to promote inclusive and equitable learning and career opportunities for all learners.

In line with this commitment, development partners working under the RTB’s coordination are contributing to advance gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) within TVET. However, the absence of a structured coordination platform has resulted in fragmented efforts, leading to duplication of efforts, missed opportunities for synergy, and a limited collective impact of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) interventions in TVET.

To address these challenges and strengthen the effectiveness of GESI activities, the RTB has established a new Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Sub-Sector Technical Working Group (GESI TWG). This platform brings together a pool of GESI experts to reinforce the RTB’s institutional and technical capacities and support the integration of GESI principles into policies, practices, curricula and teacher training. 

The GESI TWG members identified priority activities for 2026, which include :

• developing the RTB’s GESI mainstreaming strategy;
• reviewing and harmonising existing training materials on gender-responsive pedagogy;
• formulating gender-transformative guidelines for TVET and work-based learning environments.

The GESI TWG is chaired by the RTB and co-chaired by a development partner on an annual basis. It will convene quarterly and report annually to the Minister of Education on its key achievements. LuxDev is honoured to have been appointed as co-chair of the GESI TWG, on behalf of Luxembourg Cooperation. In this role, LuxDev will actively contribute to strengthening coordination and promoting strategic alignment among partners, as well as advancing the institutionalisation of GESI within the TVET system. This commitment is in line with the goals of the Digital Skills for Quality TVET and ISHEMA projects, which support GESI integration at RTB level as well as fostering strategic partnerships.

This is an important milestone on the road to achieving a sustained, collaborative, and results-oriented approach to making TVET systems more gender-responsive and inclusive !