Paper Crown Rwanda is a feminist non-profit organization that works with youth to transform gender norms, foster leadership and create lasting social change.

Gender inequality is created and reinforced by social beliefs about the value and role of girls and boys, men and women, in any given community. It is these beliefs, passed down from generation to generation, that are the fundamental driving forces behind some of the world's most pressing development issues, including persistent poverty, slow economic growth and widespread violence.

Despite decades of investment in addressing these problems, the deeply-held beliefs that contribute to them are rarely targeted. We know that to break the intergenerational cycle of gender discrimination and violence, we need to engage youth, particularly adolescent girls, in critical conversations around gender, power,
social equality, and community leadership.

Support Paper Crown Rwanda with a donation today!

Our Flagship Project: My Voice, My Power

My Voice, My Power is our most powerful comprehensive program that breaks down gender norms, affirms girls’ rights, engages boys in positive masculinity, challenges violence and brings GESD (Girl Empowerment Self Defense) training to Rwanda for the first time. Since 2020, we’ve been running multiple cycles of MVMP every year across the country, and we are thrilled at the results.

To find out more about this unique, groundbreaking model that builds on already impressive results from innovative approaches being implemented across Africa, click below!

Previous Projects

The Queen’s Gambit was a unique 12-week program for adolescent girls in Rwanda, using chess to foster a plethora of developmental skills within a holistic gender-focused capacity building process. Girls learned to think critically, challenge norms, develop their problem solving skills, and strengthen their analysis abilities - all of which are essential in life.

Thanks to the generous support of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, we’ve been able to run
three cycles of The Queens Gambit so far!

Watch our video below, and find out more about The Queen’s Gambit in Rwanda!