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Fostering Citizen Participation in the Development of Legislation

Posted by Jessica Gomez and Carla Koppell on January 1, 2008

Participatory processes are critical to improving governance in post-conflict countries. Involving the public in creating legislation increases a government’s legitimacy and the likelihood that nascent democracies remain stable and continue to develop. Yet post-conflict societies, especially those unaccustomed to democracy, require extra support to open legislative and other policymaking processes. Part of a series that […]

Advancing Women in Legislatures

Posted by Jessica Gomez and Carla Koppell on January 1, 2008

Caucuses are important for bringing together legislators outside the confines of political parties. Women’s caucuses are particularly useful for strengthening the voice of an under-heard constituency, increasing the confidence of female legislators (who often have less experience than their male counterparts), and providing a vehicle for mentoring new policymakers. Part of a series that builds […]

Promoting Children’s Welfare: Legislative Strategies

Posted by Jessica Gomez on January 1, 2008

Children are often the segment of the population most affected by poverty, food insecurity, and the lack of health and social services that characterize post-conflict countries. Women’s leadership, however, can improve children’s lives. When women achieve a critical mass in legislatures and local government, they prioritize investment in children’s welfare. Part of a series that […]

“Gender is Society”: Inclusive Lawmaking in Rwanda’s Parliament

Posted by on March 1, 2007
“Gender is Society”: Inclusive Lawmaking in Rwanda’s Parliament

This article was originally published in Critical Half. While the development community has shifted toward a gender and development (GAD) paradigm that emphasizes relations between women and men, rather than focusing on women alone, GAD programs often fall short of truly including men. However, a 2006 legislative campaign by Rwandan female parliamentarians, in which they […]

A Survivor of Rwanda’s Horrors Writes Hope Into Law

Posted by on January 25, 2006
A Survivor of Rwanda’s Horrors Writes Hope Into Law

This article was originally published by The Washington Post. She was born a Rwandan refugee in Uganda, where her parents herded cattle. A bright and determined student, she went to class under a tree using a borrowed identity, was smuggled across borders to continue her schooling, graduated from Uganda’s Makerere University and studied law on […]

A Small Shower in the Desert

Posted by on March 2, 2005
A Small Shower in the Desert

This article was originally published by Scripps Howard News Service. This past weekend, I saw “Hotel Rwanda,” one of this year’s Academy Award nominees. The film tells the story of the 1994 genocide, through a personal and true tale. It was a chilling experience, not just because the notion of genocide is impossible to comprehend, […]

Women’s Voices Rise as Rwanda Reinvents Itself

Posted by on February 26, 2005
Women’s Voices Rise as Rwanda Reinvents Itself

This article was originally published in The New York Times. The most remarkable thing about Rwanda’s Parliament is not the war-damaged building that houses it, with its bullet holes and huge artillery gashes still visible a decade after the end of the fighting. It is inside the hilltop structure, from the spectator seats of the […]

Strengthening Governance: The Role of Women in Rwanda’s Transition

Posted by Elizabeth Powley on October 1, 2003

Nine years after the end of the 1994 genocide, Rwanda still faces challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and HIV/AIDS. However, the country has made strides toward establishing a democratic society. Having made several important contributions to their country’s political system, women are at the forefront of post-genocide Rwandan public life. They are present in government […]

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