Rwanda has made enormous strides forward in improving access of boys and girls to education at all levels, and in promoting gender equality within the education system. Yet girl students continue to lag behind in educational achievement and access, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels, where girls’ enrolment, completion and achievement rates are lower. Girls are under-represented in government schools, and are instead more likely to attend more expensive and lower quality private schools and universities. Despite an enabling policy environment, a number of social and institutional barriers continue to prevent girls and young women from attending schools and universities and from performing equally to their male classmates. The prioritization of science and technology within the educational and development policies of the country may act to further exclude female students unless additional actions are taken to promote women’s participation in these fields. Addressing gender equality in the education system, with a focus on improving girls’ educational performance and outcomes, is crucial to meeting Rwanda’s development goals and to protecting women’s human rights within the country.