Professional Internship Program for young females in Local Government is changing lives
March 26th, 2025, Kigali— The Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA), in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), hosted the official closing ceremony of the 5th intake of the Professional Internship Program for young female university fresh graduates in Local Government and horizontally launched the 6th intake.
The outgoing intake 5 ended with 96 interns, while the launched intake 6 is composed of 120 dedicated interns.
The ceremony was organized to reaffirm the role of different partners in advancing equality, women's empowerment, and inclusion.
"This program is another important step in RALGA's efforts to promote gender equality in Local Government. For those who graduated in the 5th intake, the experience they gained from Local Government will be a strong foundation for their pursuit of a better future for them and their country in general.” Mr. Dominique Habimana, RALGA Secretary General, in his opening remarks.
The ceremony features a panel discussion on “Rwanda's transformation and the role of women: creating sustainable pathways for future female leaders”.
Panelists shared insights on the personal and community-level journey towards gender equality in Rwanda and how women are greatly contributing to the development of the country.
“I grew up outside of Rwanda, but when the country was liberated, I decided to leave my good-paying job and comfort zone and come back to Rwanda to help in rebuilding, and now look at where our country has reached thanks to the contributions of a lot of women. We have the responsibility to love our country, and we are capable of providing solutions to any challenges like men do.” BALIKUNGERI Mary, Director and Founder of Rwanda Women's Network, said
In her closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Ms. Mireille Batamuliza, thanked the Districts and the City of Kigali for their meaningful role in the program.
“We thank you for the way you receive and treat these young women and girls professionally by helping them to grow professionally and linking them with various opportunities.” She said
PS Batamuliza called upon the females who finished this internship program in Local Government to make use of this opportunity on the job market.
“You were capacitated, and you now know the country’s governance values, policies,… better than your peers. We hope it will help you in the job market. We expect to see you soon in all decision-making organs of the country, especially in Local Government where we observe a small representation of women.” PS Batamuliza added.
THE PROGRAM IS REALLY CHANGING LIVES
UWIRINGIYIMANA Clementine is one of the interns who did the internship in the second edition (August 2021 - February 2022). They worked in a critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Once you are sent to a local government entity through this program, you just have to work hard; don’t be shy to ask questions, work with others, be disciplined and respectful,… it will open a lot of doors for you. That is how I was introduced to the citizens of Gisagara District, who then elected me to the District council.” UWIRINGIYIMANA Clementine said.
BAYIHIMBAZE Emercienne, another intern who just finished the internship last year (2024), is now a local leader at the cell level in Nyamagabe District, Southern Province of Rwanda.
“This program made me fall in love with serving citizens and local government in general because I had gained experience, and I was equipped with a vast knowledge of different government policies and the Local Government working environment from my internship period. I was very competitive throughout job exams.” BAYIHIMBAZE Emercienne, a former intern, said
ABOUT THIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5, “Achieving Gender Equality”, and to mentor and prepare a vibrant and competent generation of female leaders in Local Government, the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) initiated a six-month professional internship program for fresh female university graduates.
The primary goal of this program is to contribute to gender equality by addressing the gender gap in local government institutions. This gap has been largely attributed to cultural barriers, limited self-confidence among women, and limited awareness regarding the Local Government's functioning and working environment.
At the end of the 5th intake in February 2025, this program has produced 620 well-equipped young women and girls.
A tracer survey done on the three cohorts indicates that of around three hundred interns who responded to the questionnaire, at least 44.1% are employed, 6.8% are self-employed, 38.4% are still job seekers, while 10.6% embarked on further studies.
Of the 44.1% employed, 49% are in the public sector, 26% in the private sector, 23% are employed by NGOs, and 2% by international organizations/embassies.
Among those employed in the public sector (49%), the local government recruited the majority (63.5%), including 48.5% recruited at the district level, 39.4% at the sector level, and 12.1% at the cell level.
Meanwhile, 16.6% of the mentioned female interns joined local elective organs, mostly at sector and district levels.
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