This policy brief is part of a series derived from a three-year field program on the role of women in Rwanda.
More broadly, these briefs provide policymakers, donors, and program planners with strategies for
consolidation of democracy in post-conflict societies.
Children are often the segment of the population most affected by poverty, food insecurity, and the lack of health
and social services that characterize post-conflict countries. Women’s leadership, however, can improve children’s
lives. When women achieve a critical mass in legislatures and local government, they prioritize investment in
children’s welfare.