Victimisation of women in times of war genocide or mass slaughter has been the primary focus
of the majority of explorations concerning gender and conflict. Traditionally women are
espoused as victims at the mercy of male killers and therefore subordinate. The notoriety of
brutal horrific and incomprehensible sexual crimes against women in times of genocide has
ensured that reluctance in addressing female accountability has plagued this debate. While
examinations of these atrocities are imperative and indispensable in facilitating
reconciliation both psychological and social this one-sided representation has led to a
misunderstanding of the dynamic roles which women play during genocide. Whether supportive
active or auxiliary roles women have been a vital component in endorsing and sanctioning
genocidal violence in history. In Rwanda some women not only provided assistance and
encouragement to Hutu men but also perpetrated the attacks and incited rape. The suffering of
female victims cannot be fully understood without a consideration of the extensive nature of
the perpetrators both male and female. Moreover quite the opposite of diminishing the value
and significance of the victimisation of women any examination which focuses on female agency
re-balances the scales of gender inequality and consequently serves to empower women. Women
should not be portrayed solely as victims. Women in the Rwandan genocide were victims and
perpetrators agents and symbols. Gender expectations which propagate the superiority of men
both during and after conflict are detrimental to the reconstruction of post-genocide gender
identities.
