And I live on: the resilience of Rwandan genocide survivors of sexual violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1651-1652
Author(s):  
Noam Schimmel
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Rwandan Genocide

scholarly journals “You Feel Like You Belong Nowhere”: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Social Identity in Post-Genocide Rwanda

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-59
Author(s):  
Myriam Denov ◽  
Laura Eramian ◽  
Meaghan Shevell
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ethnic Politics ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Massive Scale ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Modern Warfare ◽  
Depth Interviews

Globally, the systematic use of sexual violence in modern warfare has resulted in the birth of thousands of children. Research has begun to focus on this often invisible group and the obstacles they face, including stigma, discrimination and exclusion based on their birth origins. Although sexual violence during the Rwandan genocide has been documented on a massive scale, little research has focused on the relational dynamics between mothers who experienced genocide rape and the children they bore. This paper explores the post-genocide realities of these two under-explored populations, revealing two key tensions in relation to identity-building and belonging. Drawing upon in-depth interviews conducted with 44 mothers and 60 youth, we examine how youth participants’ quest for the truth in forming their own identities is often in conflict with mothers’ efforts to disassociate their identities from sexual violence and genocide. Furthermore, both mothers’ and children’s identities remain ‘caught’ in the rigid ethnic politics of the genocide at the national level. Ultimately, this article highlights that the distinction between the self and the larger politics of post-genocide Rwanda are not easily disentangled, as challenges faced by these families exist at the nexus of the personal and the national, the individual and structural.

scholarly journals Sexual Violence as an Afterthought: Securing Justice for Sexual Violence Victims in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kellie-Sue Hoy
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
International Criminal Tribunal ◽  
Institutional Culture ◽  
Tripartite Model ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
The Voice

<p>Using Nancy Fraser’s (2007a) tripartite model of justice as a theoretical backdrop, this thesis critically evaluates the United Nation’s (UN) International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), in relation to how this Tribunal has both secured and limited opportunities to ’do’ justice for sexual violence (SV) victims. This thesis applies a gendered approach to Fraser’s model, and considers how justice has been secured by women, based on principles of recognition, redistribution and representation. Using documentary methods, the thesis analyses ICTR cases concerning SV, to determine how this Tribunal has responded to SV committed against women and girls throughout the Rwandan genocide. This thesis demonstrates that, while the Tribunal has secured some level of justice for SV victims by successfully indicting, prosecuting and punishing some individuals responsible for SV, these crimes have been constructed and responded to in ad hoc and skewed ways. The analysis shows that crimes of SV, as well as its victims, are underrepresented in the ICTR. It also demonstrates that where SV has been addressed, the institutional culture and framework of this Tribunal has marginalised the voice of women, and allowed for discriminatory and insensitive court practices to permeate judicial proceedings. SV victims, who continue to struggle with redistributive injustices, have been negatively impacted by these ICTR practices</p>

scholarly journals "Tudni szeretnénk, milyen édesek a tuszi nők"

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2.) ◽  
pp. 29-44
Author(s):  
Anna Luca Lator
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
History Of

The article presents the characteristics of sexual violence during the Rwandan Genocide at the beginning of the 1990s. Towards the explanation of the phenomenon of conflict related sexual violence, it introduces the milestones of the history of the country and the xenophobic narratives which had led to genocide. Then, with the main focus on media, it analyzes survivors’ testimonies and media materials, to demonstrate how the narratives appeared during the perpetration of rape. The aim of the research is to reveal the power of media with highlighting how political narratives influenced the characteritics of sexual violence.

“I Asked Myself If I Would Ever Love My Baby”: Mothering Children Born of Genocidal Rape in Rwanda

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 703-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Woolner ◽  
Myriam Denov ◽  
Sarilee Kahn
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Unwanted Pregnancy ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Mother Child Relationship

The 1994 Rwandan genocide was characterized by brutal acts of widespread sexual violence against women that, for some, led to unwanted pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. This study explores the perspectives and experiences of 44 Rwandan women with children born of genocidal rape through in-depth qualitative interviews. Emerging from the data are the themes of identity and belonging, ambivalence, and truth-telling in the mother–child relationship. Findings highlight the lasting and intergenerational legacy of genocidal rape, and practice and policy implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Sexual Violence as an Afterthought: Securing Justice for Sexual Violence Victims in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kellie-Sue Hoy
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
International Criminal Tribunal ◽  
Institutional Culture ◽  
Tripartite Model ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
The Voice

<p>Using Nancy Fraser’s (2007a) tripartite model of justice as a theoretical backdrop, this thesis critically evaluates the United Nation’s (UN) International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), in relation to how this Tribunal has both secured and limited opportunities to ’do’ justice for sexual violence (SV) victims. This thesis applies a gendered approach to Fraser’s model, and considers how justice has been secured by women, based on principles of recognition, redistribution and representation. Using documentary methods, the thesis analyses ICTR cases concerning SV, to determine how this Tribunal has responded to SV committed against women and girls throughout the Rwandan genocide. This thesis demonstrates that, while the Tribunal has secured some level of justice for SV victims by successfully indicting, prosecuting and punishing some individuals responsible for SV, these crimes have been constructed and responded to in ad hoc and skewed ways. The analysis shows that crimes of SV, as well as its victims, are underrepresented in the ICTR. It also demonstrates that where SV has been addressed, the institutional culture and framework of this Tribunal has marginalised the voice of women, and allowed for discriminatory and insensitive court practices to permeate judicial proceedings. SV victims, who continue to struggle with redistributive injustices, have been negatively impacted by these ICTR practices</p>

scholarly journals The Intergenerational Legacy of Genocidal Rape: The Realities and Perspectives of Children Born of the Rwandan Genocide

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (17-18) ◽  
pp. 3286-3307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Denov ◽  
Leah Woolner ◽  
Jules Pacifique Bahati ◽  
Paulin Nsuki ◽  
Obed Shyaka
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mass Scale ◽  
Rwandan Genocide ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Mother Child Relationship

Brutal acts of sexual violence were documented on a mass scale during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. While existing scholarship on sexual violence has significantly increased our understanding of the challenges confronting survivors, gaps in knowledge remain regarding the lived experiences of children born of genocidal rape. This study sought to explore the realities and perspectives of children born of genocidal rape, and the existing opportunities and challenges they experienced in postgenocide Rwanda. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 60 participants born of genocidal rape in Rwanda. Findings highlight the key challenges that these youth face in the postgenocide context, including struggles with identity and belonging, ambivalence in the mother–child relationship, and a desire to learn of their biological origins and heritage. The findings suggest that children born of conflict-related sexual violence face a distinct set of challenges and needs that have yet to be formally addressed. Our findings highlight the need for the development of programs, policies, and services specific for this important, yet overlooked group of young people affected by armed conflict.

Breaking the silence: Perspectives on sexual violence among Indian American women.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-306
Author(s):  
Pratyusha Tummala-Narra ◽  
Jena Gordon ◽  
Laura D. Gonzalez ◽  
Luisa de Mello Barreto ◽  
Tera Meerkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
American Women ◽  
Indian American
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