The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

judicial realm. Later, other associations such as “the Guides of Rwanda”,
“the Christian Youth Association”, etc., were formed.
By 1992, there were thirteen women’s associations. They decided to
create an umbrella group of women called “Pro-Femmes/ Twese
Hamwe”, i.e., for women/all together. They were all opponents of the
regime of President Habyarimana; the members were mostly women
from the disadvantaged south of the country, while the president was
from the north. To combat this group, the President established the association
Urunana (the name also used in French).
After the genocide, all these associations were virtually non-existent.
Some members had been killed, others had fled the country.
Before the Beijing meeting, the women, including Marie-Immaculée Ingabire,
decided to merge the associations of women returning from
exile, including such associations as Benimpuhwe, the Mothers’ Sports
Club, Benurugwiro, Benishyaka, Amaliza, etc.; those which had existed
in Rwanda before the genocide; and those established after the genocide,
including Avega, Arfem, Asoferwa, etc.
After they had formed a common group, they decided to meet in order
to get to know one another. Neither side trusted the other, due to the
genocide and the dehumanization which some had undergone as a result
of the politics of division which had reigned in Rwanda prior to the
genocide. Hutu women called those returning from exile inyenzi (cockroaches),
while the Tutsi women returning from exile called the Hutu
women genocidal killers. As for the survivors, they trusted neither side,
in view of the situation after the genocide.
Gradually, they were able to build trust amongst themselves, because
they have found that what separated them was less than what united
them, since they realized they had the same concerns, as women.
They therefore decided to open themselves up to a culture of peace.
They created a project called “the campaign for peace”. Through this
programme, they organized a number of actions for peace and reconciliation,
beginning with themselves. They fought for women to enter politics
and today, Rwandan women are at all levels of power.
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