Rwandan Women Rising

In the spring of 1994, the tiny African nation of Rwanda was ripped apart by a genocide that left nearly a million dead. Neighbors attacked neighbors. Family members turned against their own. After the violence subsided, Rwanda's women--drawn by the necessity of protecting their families--carved out unlikely new roles for themselves as visionary pioneers creating stability and reconciliation in genocide's wake. Today, 64 percent of the seats in Rwanda's elected house of Parliament are held by women, a number unrivaled by any other nation.
While news of the Rwandan genocide reached all corners of the globe, the nation's recovery and the key role of women are less well known. In Rwandan Women Rising, Swanee Hunt shares the stories of some seventy women--heralded activists and unsung heroes alike--who overcame unfathomable brutality, unrecoverable loss, and unending challenges to rebuild Rwandan society. Hunt, who has worked with women leaders in sixty countries for over two decades, points out that Rwandan women did not seek the limelight or set out to build a movement; rather, they organized around common problems such as health care, housing, and poverty to serve the greater good. Their victories were usually in groups and wide ranging, addressing issues such as rape, equality in marriage, female entrepreneurship, reproductive rights, education for girls, and mental health.
These women's accomplishments provide important lessons for policy makers and activists who are working toward equality elsewhere in Africa and other postconflict societies. Their stories, told in their own words via interviews woven throughout the book, demonstrate that the best way to reduce suffering and to prevent and end conflicts is to elevate the status of women throughout the world.
Swanee Hunt shares the stories of over ninety women, who in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, overcame unfathomable brutality, suffering, loss, and seemingly unending challenges to rebuild Rwandan society by addressing common problems ranging from health care, rape, and housing to poverty, education, and mental health.
"In Rwandan Women Rising, Swanee Hunt traces this history through interviews with over 80 of the Rwandan activists whose work made this possible, addressing such issues as sexual violence, equality in marriage and girls' education. Accompanied by fullcolour photographs, Hunt's interlocutors make a strong case: A woman's place is in the peace process."--Jade Colbert "Globe and Mail" (4/13/2019 12:00:00 AM)
"There's no doubt that the stories in Rwandan Women Rising carry lessons about the importance of fostering and maintaining women's leadership to achieve "enduring stability and meaningful reunification" in conflict-ridden societies across the globe."--Kathleen B. Jones "Los Angeles Review of Books" (7/26/2017 12:00:00 AM)
"This book gives unwavering evidence of the necessity of women in peace building efforts, not to fill seats at the table, but as leaders of lasting change."--Kathleen B. Jones "WATER" (9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)
"This book is a testimony to and a work of honesty and hope, and reflects horror, heartache and healing. Its contribution to literature on Rwanda, women's rights and welfare, development, social change and transitional justice is substantial. It is humane, searing and invaluable and should be read widely and carefully. Its lessons and wisdom, which are characterized by humility and careful self-reflection on the part of author and interviewees alike, make it an exceptional work of enduring consequence with a potential for positive, transformative impact."--Noam Schimmel "International Affairs" (1/8/2018 12:00:00 AM)
"This is an important book on a gripping topic...."--Jane Haile "New York Journal of Books" (5/25/2017 12:00:00 AM)
"Through well narrated local voices situated in Rwanda, this book is able to provide readers with detailed and fresh insights into how Rwandan women participate in politics and influence policies aimed at peace promotion and nation reconstruction, in turn encouraging us to advance further women's leadership for the sake of global security."--Xianan Jin "Feminist Review" (3/1/2019 12:00:00 AM)