The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

ther that of the juxtaposition of ethnic groups – in separate territories,
in different political organizations – nor that of ethnic conflict, by region,
clan or religion, but in that of coexistence within a nation, in which the
citizen has an individual relationship with the state.
For this, finally, Rwanda must seek to achieve real equality in daily life,
cultivating democratic equality and for this secular nation, once enam -
oured of conquests. Now, the conquests to be made are within the
country’s own territory: the new frontier of Rwanda is democracy.
Women as the victims par excellence of the Rwandan conflict
Women have long been left behind in Rwanda. Apart from the Queen
Mother, no woman ever engaged in politics until sixteen years ago.
Among the clichés given to the Tutsi by the colonizers which made them
superior beings, was that of the Tutsi woman, who was also seen as
the most beautiful and who sparked the desires of all men, especially
the Hutu, who had been told that they were inferior. It also fanned the
jealousy of Hutu women, who believed that their husbands dreamed of
having Tutsi women. Whenever there were massacres of Tutsi, Tutsi
women were raped before being killed.
This explains how rape – extending even to little Tutsi girls – has been a
formidable weapon used against women during the genocide. Hutu
women, once the demonization and dehumanization of Tutsi women
had begun with the Hutu rebellion, did not even care, as their Hutu husbands
raped Tutsi women, because they knew this was no longer a desire
to sleep with a Tutsi woman, but a weapon of torture before death.
When the killers fled, taking hostage the population, Hutu women also
suffered, with their daughters, in the refugee camps. For murderers, it
was absolutely imperative to regain Rwanda, which they had lost by los -
ing the war. They have also never lost the hope of re-conquering Rwanda
and finishing the job.
Thus, women and little girls in the refugee camps were raped, because
according to the policy of the murderers, each woman had the duty to
bear a soldier, since they always had confidence in the politics of the ma-
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