CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3: Women's Role in Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Rwanda

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Chapter 3: Women's Role in Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Rwanda

Introduction

In 1994 Rwanda was the scene of a genocide of apocalyptic proportions, in which more than one million people were massacred. The country was in ruins. Many Rwandan men were killed, taken prisoner or chose to flee abroad. The UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, compares the situation that was in Rwanda after the genocide with that of Europe after World War II (Veldhuijzen, Braunstein, Vyankandondera, Ingabire, Ntirushwa, Kestelyn & Wijgert, 2011).

At that time there was no choice. The women had to assume the responsibilities of the missing men, occupying positions in the Transitional Government to continue the genocide (Cohen, Fabri, Cai, Shi, Hoover, Binagwaho & Anastos, 2009). Nearly a million casualties, with a death rate of 80% in just three months (three quarters in the first six weeks), butchered with machetes, cudgels studded with mutilation, drowning, slicing of Achilles tendons before giving up were the order of the day (Kikuchi, Wakasugi, Poudel, Sakisaka & Jimba, 2011). Rape was followed by massive killings, including public killings and rapes to increase the impact and humiliation. Penetration with spears, gun barrels, bottles or banana branches, genital mutilation with machetes, boiling water and acid was an everyday act. Breasts were cut off, through the creation battalions of rapists specially chosen to perpetuate the death of generations (Buscaglia & Randell, 2012).

Extreme decentralization and popular dimension of organized killing, played an important role of spiritual and technical cadres (teachers, doctors, agronomists, local football stars), stadiums, schools and churches turned into slaughterhouses, virtually unanimous adherence to the massacres, killings started and completed at set times daily as a task to be performed (Kayibanda, Bitera & Alary, 2012). Two weeks after a first half-confession of French responsibility the main characteristics of near genocide and the massacres were revealed to be the Toutsis of Rwanda in the summer of 94 (Masaisa, Gahutu, Mukiibi, Delanghe & Philippé, 2011).

During the three months (April, May and June 1994) that lasted the genocide in Rwanda against the Tutsis in 1994, the Rape was systematically used as weapons of war, with the added deliberately desired transmission of the AIDS virus (Dhont, Ndayisaba, Peltier, Nzabonimpa, Temmerman & van de Wijgert, 2009). In its report Special Reporter of the Commission on Human Rights United Nations, speaks of these rapes have been systematic and used as a weapon by those who perpetrated the massacres (Burnet, 2008). According to testimony consistent and reliable, a significant number of women (250,000 to 500,000) were raped, rape was a rule and its absence the exception (Interestingly, associations whose mission is to fight against rape have not shown the slightest indignation) (Mukamana & Brysiewicz, 2008; Burnet, 2008; Ryan, 2011; Hudson, 2009; Burnet, 2008; Ryan, 2011; Hudson, 2009). The UNICEF report Children and women of Rwanda estimates the number of systematic rape of 300 000 and 500,000. A serious study conducted (study funded by the Foundation de France with the logistical ...