On Wednesday, 13 August 2025, during the closing ceremony of the sixth cohort of the Local Government Internship Programme, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) urged the 120 young women graduates to confidently compete for positions across all sectors, particularly in local government.
Launched in 2019, the internship programme targets young women fresh out of university and is implemented by the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) in partnership with various stakeholders, including the Government of Rwanda through MIGEPROF. Since its inception, the programme has trained 740 young women.
RALGA’s Deputy Secretary General, Francine M. Rutagengwa, expressed appreciation to all partners contributing to the programme, especially the Government of Rwanda for its continued support.
“This internship yields tangible results as it equips participants with knowledge and practical skills, while boosting their confidence to take on professional roles and elected leadership positions, especially within local government,” she said.
“For instance, in this sixth cohort, 25 participants have already passed the written recruitment exams, and we are confident they will perform well in the interviews.” She added
One of the graduates, Claire M. Niyonsaba, has already secured a job in Burera District. She said the programme prepared her to engage with local government institutions and understand their operations, making the recruitment process easier.
“I am grateful to RALGA and the Government for this opportunity granted to young women. I encourage my peers to make the most of it,” she added.
In her closing remarks, Mireille Batamuliza, Permanent Secretary at MIGEPROF, highlighted the programme’s positive outcomes and called on the graduates to actively compete for job opportunities, noting that women’s participation in recruitment processes remains low.
“To all the young women in this cohort, take pride in your journey, but continue to expand your knowledge. What we have given you is a foundation; the bigger task lies ahead. Keep learning, uphold integrity, seize opportunities, contribute to your communities, and live a purposeful life,” she said.
The ceremony also provided a unique platform to connect graduates with partners such as Akazi Kanoze Access, and financial institutions including the Business Development Fund (BDF), Bank of Kigali (BK), and COPEDU, all of which have extensive experience in supporting youth entrepreneurship, particularly for women.
Recent monitoring shows that 44.1% of past programme participants have secured employment, with 49% of them working in government institutions. Among those employed in government, 63.5% work in local government. A significant number have also ventured into self-employment, while others have pursued further studies.
The monitoring further revealed that 16.6% of programme graduates have gone on to hold elected positions in local government.
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