In the aftermath of the devastating genocide of 1994, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and shattered the social, political, and economic structures of the country, Rwanda embraced a new model of development and made remarkable economic and...
In the aftermath of the devastating genocide of 1994, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and shattered the social, political, and economic structures of the country, Rwanda embraced a new model of development and made remarkable economic and political progress. Although the country still faces a range of issues related to women, Rwanda achieved significant progress in women’s rights, particularly gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Based on the theory of historical institutionalism, this study identifies the Rwandan genocide as a critical juncture and seeks to understand the reconstruction of women’s rights as a process. This study aims to identify the underlying causes of Rwanda’s reconstruction of women’s rights and examines the progress in gender equality and women’s empowerment. The contributions of the Rwandan government and civil society organizations (CSOs) to the post-genocide reconstruction process are evaluated in this study, and the evolving relationship between the Rwandan government and CSOs before and after the genocide is subsequently analyzed.
The Rwandan genocide has profoundly shaped the country’s policies and the paradigm of women’s rights in the post-genocide period. This study claims that Rwanda has undertaken the reconstruction of women’s rights in order to establish state legitimacy. This study further suggests that the international community has compelled Rwanda to focus on the promotion of women’s rights, and that the rise of Rwandan women after the genocide has served as another driving force of the reconstruction of women’s rights. In examining Rwanda’s achievements in the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, this study finds that there has been gradual and substantial progress in women’s access to education, participation in agricultural and non-agricultural activities, and involvement in the politics of Rwanda at multiple levels. It is further claimed that among the actors involved in the post-genocide development of Rwanda, the Rwandan government and CSOs have played a significant role in establishing and promoting women’s rights, and that the relationship between the Rwandan government and CSOs can be described as a gradual shift from mobilization to cooptation.