In 2023, against the backdrop of the sixth Women Deliver conference held in Kigali, UNFPA witnessed a convergence of global efforts aimed at catalyzing action and dismantling barriers to progress for women and girls worldwide.

A peaceful and prosperous future depends on the empowerment of women and girls. Thirty years ago, at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, 179 countries agreed that this was the right thing to do and the necessary path forward for sustainable global development. 

Rwanda has undergone a remarkable journey in tackling maternal mortality rates (MMR) over the past decade. From an alarming 1071 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010, the country managed to accelerate reduction reaching 210 in 2015 but in recent years the decline has been slower with MMR standing at 203 per 100,000 live births in 2020. Showing a limited decline of only 7 data points over 5 years.