Rose Kabuye

Expert Spotlight

When Rose Kabuye joined the Rwandan Patriotic Army, and later, when she began to work in the government, she didn't connect her work, or her achievements, to being a woman.  “I was doing it as an individual,” she says.  “I never knew anything about gender studies.  I was one of few women in the army.  I was the only woman mayor during my tenure.  At some point, I realized that other women were not there—that I was alone in all the meetings.  And because I was alone, somehow I felt I had to talk about women.”

Through talking, and especially through listening, Kabuye has seen the beginnings of change in Rwanda.  Since 1994, the country's social and political leadership encouraged women to enter public life.  “We, the members of the Rwandan Leadership Conference, have worked to encourage women, especially women who have not yet run for political office,” says Kabuye.  “We talk to them, train them, and urge them to stand for election.  We're drafting the new constitution and are asking women to be part of the process, so that their views and concerns are not left out.” 

Rwanda has a forum composed of all women in Parliament.  The group looks at how bills affect women, and tries to amend those that aren't good for them.  The forum also provides training for female politicians, to encourage them and increase their leadership abilities.  “Those who have been elected need to be trained,” explains Kabuye, “because only men have been elected leaders in the past.”  A minister of gender has also been elected to look at issues as they relate to men and women.  That office works with staff of other ministries, teaching them ways to work toward equity, so that all policies are gender-sensitive. 

According to Kabuye, “change is happening slowly, but it is happening.”  In government and non-governmental organizations, women are learning leadership and communications skills, and how to implement change.  Women, however, are looking out for their interests and those of their children; they have a vested interest in peace.  “We need women in grassroots peace organizations, facilitating reconciliation work, working in the economic sector, managing projects,” says Kabuye.  “We want our voices to be heard.  As women gain ground in local leadership positions, we will gradually begin to get more national opportunities.  And if we're there, it will make a difference—a big difference.”

A difference that Kabuye has already made is with talking to women from other conflict areas.  “In the course of a day, I work with women from both [Hutu and Tutsi] groups.  We get new ideas and hear about new ways to tackle the obstacles we face.” 

Rwandans throughout the country have been trying to bridge the divide between Hutus and Tutsis.  The government's Unity and Reconciliation Commission sets up regular meetings for people of all ethnic groups where they eat, sleep, and share ideas together.  “We learn about each other's history, about the experiences of the other side,” Kabuye explains.

Rwanda is coping not only with internal Hutu-Tutsi friction.  There are also tensions with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In 2000, Kabuye was part of a group of Rwandan and Congolese women who met for a US-sponsored trip around the United States.  They were at loggerheads.  At first, the Congolese women didn't want to talk to the Rwandan women, and vice versa.  But they went through conflict resolution training, and later, learned how to listen. 

“We learned that each one of us had a point.  We did role-plays and models.  And when they said, “You are aggressors!  Get out of our country!”  I listened to them.  “Yes, it's true!  I'm being aggressive toward you.  But listen to me, also.  You are helping the militias who killed our people.  You are arming them.  You are sending them back to kill us.”  And then she accepted that point.  Each side agreed that the other had a point.  We were already in a better place.”  Getting to that place is not easy, but Kabuye is determined to continue the dialogue.  When she went back home, she was able to talk to her leaders about what the Congolese and Rwandan women, together, thought might work. 

While Kabuye recognizes that Rwanda still has problems, she is hopeful.  “We've moved past many, many difficulties.  We're trying to leave behind a safer world for our children.”

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