ABSTRACT
Roughly 25 years ago, Rwanda experienced an unprecedented human rights atrocity. In just 100 days in the spring and early summer of 1994, over 800,000 Rwandans were killed by their fellow countrymen and women. The dead totaled nearly 11% of the country’s population. What was horrifically unique about the Rwandan genocide was the number of citizen killers. These individuals used rudimentary means to slaughter their neighbors and fellow community members. Families, friendships, communities and an entire country were torn apart within the course of 3 months. And with a 50% drop in GDP in 1994, the country’s economy also was in shambles. After the genocide, the task of rebuilding community trust and economic stability was beyond daunting.
Amazingly, Rwanda now has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and has sustained peace since the genocide. Rwandan women played a key role in this remarkable turnaround because women have had an outsized impact on the reestablishment of the rule of law, particularly as it relates to adjudicating war crimes, and the creation of an inclusive legal regime that empowers them. The convergence of these two forces produced a fertile entrepreneurial environment, which helps women move out of poverty, improve the health and education outcomes of their families and forge sustainable peace.
This chapter contributes to the literature by analyzing the normative shifts within the country’s institutions, both pre- and post-genocide, and observes that the role of women in restructuring the institutions as a major factor in the success that Rwanda enjoys today. By prioritizing gender equality in the recreation of its legal and economic structures, Rwanda is able to leverage the talents and capabilities of its entire population, and the country provides a model that can be applied to a number of other countries.
