Gender Disparities in Access to Health Care Insurance: Implications for Economic Development in Rwanda

Details

Supervisors

Panin, Amma

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences économiques, orientation générale, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis study investigates gender-based disparities in health insurance access, focusing primarily on Rwanda's Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) scheme and its implications for economic development. Leveraging nationally representative data from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS 2019/2020) and the Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7 2023/2024), The study employs descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and survey-weighted logistic regressions. These methodologies isolate the variations in insurance participation, the determinants of female enrolment , intra-household disparities, and the downstream associations linking insurance access to welfare and economic participation. The empirical results confirm that while Rwanda has secured high aggregate coverage through the dominant CBHI framework, statistically significant gender disparities in participation endure despite slightly higher baseline enrolment rates among women. Female enrolment in the CBHI scheme is significantly associated with age, geographic residency, poverty status, welfare quintiles, educational attainment, and marital status. Specifically, older cohorts, rural residents, and socioeconomically advantaged women display a higher likelihood of enrolment . Furthermore, distinct variations persist between male- and female-headed households, indicating that household structure and structural vulnerability continue to dictate insurance coverage. Consequently, gendered asymmetries in healthcare access within Rwanda transcend nominal enrolment metrics. Participation remains tightly bound to household configurations, economic shocks, and structural socioeconomic positioning. These dynamics emphasize the critical necessity of expanding equitable, gender-responsive health financing frameworks to safeguard inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, human capital accumulation, and the realization of Rwanda’s Vision 2050 objectives.