ABSTRACT
This chapter examines key elements of Rwanda's pre-colonial, colonial, and independence periods, and the intersecting influence and impact of sex-based and ethnic relations in order to trace developments that directly and indirectly contributed to the 1994 genocide and the role of women. Most historians agree that by the fifteenth century Rwanda was organized in small semi-autonomous states, but the founding of the Kingdom of Rwanda remains subject to debate. Rwanda's pre-colonial period was marked by patriarchal rule, notwithstanding certain powers that were afforded select women. Rwanda's pre-colonial period was marked by patriarchal rule, notwithstanding certain powers that were afforded select women. The royal court was rife with intrigue as individuals and clans vied for influence and power. Kingdoms such as Rwanda stood as a contradiction to European myths about non-white Africa. Rwanda was a highly developed society with established boundaries, a complex hierarchy, and elaborate rituals.
