This report has three parts. In part one, a brief literature review surveys the current research and analysis on women and local government, describing why women are important to public policy at the community level as well as considering the advantages and challenges of de- centralization for women. Part two outlines the ongoing decentralization process in Rwanda, how it a ected the 2006 local elections, and how women fared. Part three discusses the obstacles women face despite the existence of the quota and shows how Inclusive Security’s training program helped prepare women to overcome these challenges.