Victims Of Genocide

Running head : VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE

Introduction

Norwojee , B , Thomas , D Human Rights Watch /Africa (1996 ) Shattered lives . Human Rights Watch , New York , NY (pg 3 - 28

Sexual Violence during the Genocide

The high level of sexual violence during the Rwandan genocide brings into sharp focus the modus operandi of the Hutu extremists and first hand accounts of a premeditated strategy to degrade Tutsi women . Hutu men harbored a latent distrust and hatred against these women whom they accused of treating them in an inferior manner (pg 14

Survivors of the

genocide went through traumatic experiences with many bearing lifetime scars from the harrowing encounter . Children born as a result (estimated at between 2000- 5000 ) have created further challenges for these women as family members put pressure on them to kill the enfant non desires . This put additional psychological strain on the survivors with some committing infanticide rather than live with the shame of raising a child conceived through rape by Hutu extremists (pg 3

The fear of exposure has contributed to a low percentage of rape victims seeking medical care for rape related medical complications or sexually transmitted diseases including HIV- Aids (pg 6

Chretien , J .P (1995 ) Rwanda : Les Medias du genocide Paris : Karthala and Reporters sans Frontieres . pp 45-47

Prior to the genocide , Hutu extremists unleashed propaganda through print and electronic media that highlighted ethnic stereotypes about Tutsi women and incited the Hutus against Tutsi womenfolk (pg 45

With the breakout of hostilities , the Hutu found a perfect...