About the Book

When Rwandan women came together to help rescue their country after genocide, they created a model for sustainable peace and security worldwide.

In the spring of 1994, the tiny African nation of Rwanda was ripped apart by a rampage that left nearly a million dead. Neighbors attacked neighbors. Family members turned against their own. As chaos cracked open the culture, women surged into the breach. After the violence subsided—drawn by the necessity of protecting their families—they carved out unlikely new roles for themselves as visionary pioneers creating stability and reconciliation in genocide’s wake. Today, more than 60 percent of the seats in Rwanda’s elected house of parliament are held by women, a number unrivaled by any other nation. While news of the Rwandan genocide reached all corners of the globe, the nation’s recovery and the key role of women are less well known.

In Rwandan Women Rising, Swanee Hunt weaves together interviews with more than 90 women (and men)—heralded activists and unsung heroes alike—who overcame unfathomable brutality, unrecoverable loss, and unending challenges to rebuild Rwandan society. Their stories, told in their own words, demonstrate that the best way to reduce suffering and to prevent and end conflicts is to elevate the status of women throughout the world.

448 pages, 116 color illustrations
$34.95/£29.99 hardcover • ISBN: 978-0-8223-6257-9
$34.95/£29.99 e-book • ISBN: 978-0-8223-7356-8

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