Bending toward Reconciliation

Over decades or even centuries, women are subjugated; they somehow come forward; they lead reforms, including for their own rights and their families' well-being. Rwanda was no exception. But the lightning speed with which it moved through those stages makes the country a model well worth examining. Part III, “Bending toward Reconciliation” brings out some quieter voices of people who never sought the limelight but whose experiences put them in the vanguard of reunification. Showing selfless courage and driven by a deep sense of greater good, these women rose above their own grief to advance healing in their own villages and towns and justice well beyond their borders. Community mending had to replace endless exile, impunity for war crimes, a spirit of revenge, and deep-seated suspicion. Gender violence had to be criminalized and rape named an international crime of genocide. In each case, led by women, society was transformed.