Sustaining Gains in Rwanda: The Influence of Indigenous Culture and Post-Genocide Politics

Publication Date: December 2009
Authors: Peace Uwineza and Elizabeth Pearson
Abstract: The success of women parliamentarians in Rwanda has prompted questions about how women achieved such unprecedented levels of political representation. The paper begins with a discussion of various Rwandan cultural practices that either support or undercut gender equality, then analyzes how actors in contemporary Rwandan politics reference indigenous practices in relation to women’s empowerment. This paper contends that modern references to gender-sensitive practices in Rwanda’s pre-colonial era aim to generate support for women’s political participation by emphasizing its continuity with traditional culture and, in doing so, defuse opposition. The Rwandan case suggests a strategy available to women and men seeking to promote gender equality in political representation elsewhere. (25 pages plus appendices and endnotes)

 

Key Findings

 

• In pre-colonial Rwanda, some practices—such as the deep respect for motherhood—protected and promoted women, while others—such as bride price or polygamy—subjugated them.
• Much of women’s advancement in contemporary Rwanda seems to have resulted from exceptional social and political factors in the post-conflict period rather than from indigenous culture.
• Rwandan policymakers have successfully invoked gender-sensitive aspects of indigenous culture to generate support for new legislation that empowers women.
• In arguing for reforms to improve women’s rights in Rwanda, policymakers have referred to aspects of Rwandan culture that violate women’s rights and hinder development.
• The sustainability of women’s advancements and the permanence of a cultural shift depend on national leadership, legal reforms, progressive policies and mandates, institutional mechanisms, and a vibrant women’s movement.
• Rooting modern changes in references to tradition and indigenous culture can effectively promote and justify women’s political participation in post-conflict countries.
• Legal reforms are critical to institutionalizing gains by women in a post-conflict society; they guard against reversals of political will and help reinforce ongoing cultural shifts that reshape gender relations.

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