ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Saturday congratulated President Paul Kagame of Rwanda for appointing a gender-parity government.

Rwanda made a major reshuffle last Thursday, with women making up 50 percent of the cabinet.

The reshuffle in Rwanda followed the election of former Foreign Minister Louise Mushikwabo as secretary-general of the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Rwanda is the global leader in women's representation in parliament and ranks as the 4th country on the global gender equality scale, Faki noted in a statement on Saturday.

"The appointment of a gender-parity government, once again, demonstrates Rwanda's deep and consistent commitment to women's empowerment, including through appropriate representation and effective participation in political decision-making," he said.

Last Tuesday, Faki also commended Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for appointing a cabinet marked by gender parity.

The Ethiopian Parliament last Tuesday approved the appointment of 20 ministers, with women also making up half of the cabinet.

Faki encouraged other member states to emulate the example set by Rwanda and Ethiopia to gender equality and women's empowerment.