Gender and Ethnicity in Rwanda: On Legal Remedies for Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence

This chapter discusses gender justice in Rwanda post-genocide, and specifically focuses on victims of wartime rape. Women have 30 percent reservation in the national Parliament, but their presence has had little impact on the number of prosecutions for sexual violence during the genocide, due to, the chapter argues, the absence of a gender lens in the conceptualization of the legal and political frameworks. Even though the post-genocide period has been characterized by women’s participation in decision-making processes, this does not mean that women can now assert their fundamental human rights. The gap between men and women’s wealth, literacy levels and school enrolment has only widened. Added to this is the stigmatization that women experience because of the sexual violence carried out against them during the genocide. Specific notions of masculinities also inhibit gender justice. The construction of masculinity is such that men can be shamed through the act of sexual violence against the women of their community.