Women, peace and security in Rwanda : promises and pitfalls

With its high level of female representation and its successful reconciliation process after the 1994 genocide, Rwanda has emerged as something of an African and global 'model' of gender equality and conflict resolution. But beyond the 'politics of numbers' lies a male-dominated structure, where women and feminist thinking have little or no influence. This policy note assesses how Rwanda has adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and offers policy advice on how to break gender barriers in the traditionally masculinist security sector.This policy note is inspired by the conclusions from the symposium Gender and Peace in Africa: Taking Stock of 20 Years with Resolution 1325 (Stockholm 9–10 March 2020), which was co-organised by NAI and the Namibian Embassy in Sweden and was supported by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.