Rwanda Mountain Tea Group (RMT) has once again demonstrated that doing business well and doing business right are the same thing. Several of RMT’s tea factories have been recognized with “Gold Trophy under Rwanda’s RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Standard”, a certification awarded to organizations that meet Rwanda’s national benchmarks for gender-responsive leadership, equal pay, inclusive recruitment, and workplace accountability.
This recognition did not come by accident. It came from two decades of deliberate choices.
What the Award Recognizes
The RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Standard is a national certification scheme developed to provide measurable criteria for organizations to promote gender equality in their structures, policies, and practices. It sets benchmarks for fair recruitment, leadership representation, equal pay, and gender-responsive workplace systems, ensuring accountability through periodic certification
The scheme was developed through a partnership between the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Women. Rwanda is the first country in Africa to develop and publish a national gender equality standard of this kind.
Earning certification under RS 560:2023 means an organization has done more than write a gender policy. It means auditors have verified that the organization’s day-to-day operations actually reflect it.
For RMT, the recognition applies directly at the factory level — where the work happens and where women make up the overwhelming majority of the workforce.
The Numbers Behind the Recognition
RMT employs approximately 30,000 workers, with two-thirds being women who bring traditional knowledge and precision to the cultivation process. These are not background workers. They are the core of the operation.
That is not a statistic to footnote. It is the foundation of the entire business model.
What RMT Actually Does For Its Women Workers
Recognition programs are only meaningful when they reflect real programs. Here is what exists on the ground across RMT’s nine factory locations.
Early Childhood Development Centers
Recognizing the challenges facing their predominantly female workforce, RMT has implemented concrete solutions to support women balancing work and family responsibilities. The company has established Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers at each factory location, allowing mothers to work knowing their children are in safe, nurturing environments.
Rwanda Mountain Tea Group (RMT) has once again demonstrated that doing business well and doing business right are the same thing. Several of RMT’s tea factories have been recognized with “Gold Trophy under Rwanda’s RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Standard”The Nyabihu tea factory alone hosts three childcare centers, demonstrating RMT’s commitment to supporting female tea pluckers and their families. This addresses a critical challenge in the tea industry, where plantation work environments are typically unsafe for children, creating difficult choices for working mothers.
Across all factory sites, RMT operates 12 Early Childhood Centers serving approximately 509 children.
This is the kind of infrastructure that allows women to stay employed, stay productive, and build financial independence without sacrificing their families.
Pluckers Day: Recognition That Goes Beyond Wages
RMT celebrates its tea pluckers through various recognition programs, including rewarding top performers with smartphones and hosting an annual “Pluckers Day” n appreciation event where staff from headquarters, factories, local leadership, and company executives gather to honor the women who make their business possible.
When an executive team shows up at a field site to publicly thank pluckers, that sends a message through the entire organization. Women’s work is visible. It is valued. It is not taken for granted.
Investment in Quality, Investment in People
RMT’s Chairman Nick Munyi has publicly stated that the quality of tea must start from the farmer, and that RMT aims to increase the value of its tea by increasing its quality which directly correlates to higher income for pluckers. The company has also announced plans to raise plucker payments, reinforcing that gender inclusion and economic empowerment are part of the same agenda.
Why This Matters Beyond RMT
Rwanda has been a deliberate global leader in embedding gender equality into institutional standards, positioning RS 560:2023 as a strategic tool that moves beyond certification to drive inclusive governance, business credibility, and global competitiveness.
For the tea industry specifically, this matters at the export level too. Buyers in Europe, North America, and Asia are increasingly requiring supply chain transparency and evidence of ethical labor practices. An RS 560:2023 certification is not just a domestic recognition. It is a signal to the global market that Rwanda’s tea is produced in an environment where workers are treated fairly.
RMT already holds multiple internationally recognized certifications including ISO 22000:2018, Rainforest Alliance, ECOCERT, and HACCP, guaranteeing compliance with European and American standards. The gender equality award adds a social dimension to that quality story one that buyers are increasingly paying attention to.
The Factories Behind the Award
RMT’s network covers nine tea gardens across Rwanda: Kitabi, Rubaya, Nyabihu, Gatare, Rutsiro, Mata, Nshili Kivu, Mushubi, and Gisakura, together covering 9,646 hectares of premium tea-growing land, making RMT the largest and most diverse tea producer in Rwanda.
The gender equality recognition touches the entire operational network. Not a single flagship site chosen for optics the programs are embedded across the business.
To learn more about individual factory histories and production profiles, visit:
- Nyabihu Tea Factory : 6 million kg green leaf annual capacity, three ECD centers
- Kitabi Tea Factory : BP1 category winner at the 6th African Tea Convention 2024
- Gatare Tea Factory : certified organic production, PF1 category winner
- Women in Tea at RMT : full overview of RMT’s gender empowerment programs
What This Recognition Means Going Forward
RMT’s stated ambition is to be the most successful tea company in Rwanda and to raise the Rwandan flag to new heights globally, with investments in people and recruitment from the communities they serve, positioning themselves as one of the best employers in the land.
The gender equality award is evidence that this ambition is not just a mission statement. It is being tested against real standards, by independent bodies, and RMT is passing.
For any company operating in Rwanda’s agricultural sector, this sets a practical benchmark. Gender equality programs do not have to be expensive add-ons. ECD centers reduce absenteeism. Recognition programs improve retention. Fair wages attract skilled workers. The business case and the ethical case point in the same direction.
Rwanda Mountain Tea has understood this for years. The award confirms it in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What award did Rwanda Mountain Tea win for gender equality?
RMT factories received recognition under Rwanda’s RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Standard, a national certification scheme developed by the Rwanda Standards Board in partnership with the Gender Monitoring Office, UNDP, and UN Women. The standard certifies organizations that meet measurable benchmarks for gender-responsive policies, fair recruitment, equal pay, and leadership representation.
How many women work at Rwanda Mountain Tea?
RMT employs approximately 30,000 workers total, with two-thirds roughly 20,000 people being women. Women make up the majority of tea pluckers, the most critical role in the tea production process.
What does RMT do to support female workers?
RMT operates 12 Early Childhood Development centers across its factory sites, enabling working mothers to remain employed while their children are cared for on-site. The company also runs an annual Pluckers Day to recognize top performers, rewards high-performing women with smartphones, and has committed to raising plucker payments.
Why is Rwanda’s RS 560:2023 Gender Equality Standard significant?
Rwanda is the first country in Africa to develop a national gender equality standard of this kind. The RS 560:2023 standard goes beyond policies on paper — certified organizations are audited against measurable criteria covering recruitment, pay equity, leadership inclusion, and workplace accountability. Achieving certification signals that gender equality is embedded in operations, not just in company communications.
Does gender equality affect the quality of RMT tea?
Yes, indirectly and significantly. Women pluckers are responsible for the precise hand-harvesting of two leaves and a bud the process that determines the quality and flavor profile of every batch of RMT tea. Supporting those workers with stable working conditions, childcare, and fair pay directly improves retention, morale, and skill levels. Quality starts in the field, and the field workforce is predominantly female.
Where are RMT’s tea factories located in Rwanda?
RMT operates nine factory locations: Kitabi, Rubaya, Nyabihu, Gatare, Rutsiro, Mata, Nshili Kivu, Mushubi, and Gisakura, spanning Rwanda’s Western and Southern Provinces.
