Rwanda is a world leader in female political leadership

As women’s rights in the United States come into question, many Americans are looking outward and reflecting on conditions in other countries to understand their own political moment. With over 27 female heads of state around the world, the American notion of global leadership shows a striking contrast. One country in particular subverts expectations in this regard–Rwanda–where almost 30 years after the country’s devastating genocide, women now occupy 64% of the roles in government.

When the 1994 genocide was over, women outnumbered men two to one, as males had more frequently been targeted in the violence. In the wake of the turmoil, many widows were left destitute by laws that disallowed them from inheritance. Furthermore, sex crimes were not seriously regarded by society at the time and it took the advocacy of bold Rwandan women to have the issue considered egregious during the country’s reconciliation process.

While many in Rwanda still view “feminist” as a Western word that doesn’t belong, a few courageous women like Judith Kanakuze and Dinah Musindarwezo helped shape the notion of what the future for women in Rwanda could be by establishing institutions that helped improve conditions in education, business and the domestic sphere. Kanakuze established a women’s credit union for microfinance and helped write the first legal definition of rape in the country. Musindarwezo sat as the executive director for FEMNET for six years, where she advocated for womens’ education, before signing on with the United Kingdom-based women’s rights organization Womankind Worldwide.