3 Confronting the Aftermath of Conflict: Women’s Organizations in Postgenocide Rwanda

Abstract

The war and genocide in Rwanda during the first half of the 1990s shattered the dense social ties upon which women both rural and urban had relied in the past. In particular these conflicts had a devastating effect on womens organizations destroying their physical infrastructure and decimating their human resources. Many members and leaders were killed while others fled into exile. Those who survived were left destitute fearful and alone. Yet in the aftermath of the conflicts womens organizations both new and old took a leading role in efforts to rebuild the country. Offering a range of services these groups helped women reconstruct their lives through emergency material assistance counseling vocational training and assistance with income-earning activities. In addition many organizations provided a space where women could reestablish social ties seek solace and find support. The rapid proliferation of Rwandan womens organizations during the second half of the 1990s seems nothing short of remarkable. How was this possible in the shattered social terrain of postgenocide Rwanda? What explains the large number of groups? What is the nature of these groups and how have the activities of womens organizations changed as a result of the conflicts? This chapter examines the nature roles and impacts of womens organizations in post-conflict Rwanda. Specifically it discusses the various factors that contributed to their emergence in postgenocide Rwanda the wide range of activities they have undertaken and the factors affecting their performance. It also discusses the role of the international community in supporting these associations. (excerpt)