Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
INTERVIEW Rwanda learns from history on its way to gender equality
Ambassador of Rwanda to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at her residence in Seongbuk District, Seoul, April 28. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Rwanda is a country ranked seventh in the Global Gender Gap Index 2021, compiled and released by the World Economic Forum. The central African country was rebuilt after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, with the nation making significant progress in fairness, including gender equality and women's empowerment.
Rwanda's Constitution guarantees 30 percent of seats for women in decision-making roles, which has become a cornerstone for moving closer to gender equality.
"(The Constitution) shapes people and the society to see that women are able because sometimes the society is so entrenched in cultural bias and the past and people doubt it,” Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued said during an interview with The Korea Times at her residence in Seongbuk District, Seoul, April 28.
“In our case, the Constitution is the baseline and now we are beyond what is requested by the Constitution. We are trying to aim at parity and we have just reached parity at the highest level (of the Parliament). I would say that for young girls in Rwanda, they are more and more convinced that they have opportunities,” she said.
However, Rwanda was not a leader in gender equality from the beginning. The 1994 genocide against the ethnic Tutsi in Rwanda, despite being atrocious, was a catalyst for change, as Rwandans sought to reconstruct the country from the aftermath of the disaster, thereby opening up opportunities for women.
"We had to come out with everyone and work together. In our case, because of the dire situation, we're in, women were heads of household and many young women had to take care of their younger siblings,” the ambassador said.
"We believe, because of our history, that you cannot develop with half. We have to develop with 100 percent of the population. We didn't think we were going to rebuild the country with only half. So women have played a big role and now, men and women defend gender equality.
"Over the past 28 years, we are having less and less (gender) disparity. However, we still have room there where we can increase the participation of women.”
Kigali, capital of Rwanda / Courtesy of Embassy of Rwanda in Korea
Learning from past
The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda claimed approximately 1 million Rwandans in just 100 days.
Ambassador Amri Sued said the genocide was of an enormous magnitude, but the history also underlines why it has a much bigger narrative in the history of Rwanda
She said the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is the culmination of divided politics and the constant stigmatization of an ethnic group.
"It is not something that was a spark of people rebelling. It was constant fears caused by hate speech and constant fears of making people feel like they are a danger that led people to feel like (killing the minority ethnic group) seems like the right thing," she said.
Rwandans are constantly reminded of and learn from the genocide as the country commemorates the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi with a 100-day remembrance period, beginning with "Kwibuka," which means remembrance, on April 7 and concluding with Liberation Day on July 4.
Wherever they are, Rwandans around the world commemorate Kwibuka on April 7 to learn from the past and make their way into the future. The Embassy of Rwanda in Korea is no exception and has been honoring the victims since its establishment in 2008.
At the time the population of Rwanda was around 7 million, so the loss was huge. Several thousands of families totally disappeared and the survivors became widows and orphans. With all the infrastructure destroyed the new government had to rebuild the country from scratch while pursuing justice and reconciliation.
"During the colonial period, our culture was shattered. It was important to regain what made us be strong and is rooted in our identity. A lot of work was done to educate people on our history and who we are and removing all that was institutionalized around ethnicity,” she said.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, left, and first lady Jeannette Kagame lay a wreath during Kwibuka28, the 28th commemoration on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, April 7. Courtesy of Embassy of Rwanda in Korea
Despite the devastating situation, Rwandans embrace it as their history and try to raise awareness for the younger generation.
"First, we take the blame as Rwandans. And we take the lessons of it, which means unity at all costs and our peace and development at all costs. We also have to take it as humanity because genocide is a crime against humanity, not a political crime," she said.
It has been 28 years since the genocide took place and the demographics of Rwanda have changed as well.
"Rwanda is a pretty young country with the majority of people below 25. So I would say that more than 60 percent of my country has grown up in a different setup (after the genocide), though the consequences might be there," the ambassador said.
She noted that the experience has made Rwanda stay united and look at the future with resilience.
"I think the fact that we have that history, we value it more and we are conscious of our country, our community and put more efforts in taking care of the environment," she said, explaining how Rwanda is now one of the safest countries not just in Africa, but in the world.
After all these years, Rwanda has become a strong and united country with an energized youth.
"(The young population) think big to create the Rwanda that we want. That's what the teenagers are experiencing. I've seen the new generation's will that is so energizing because they want this country to be the best it can be and they see themselves as worthy to have the best. Youth is synonymous to innovation.”