This paper investigates the question ‘How did sexual violence become a weapon of war during the 1994 conflict in Rwanda?’ It does so by analyzing ethnic and gender identities in Rwanda prior to...Show moreThis paper investigates the question ‘How did sexual violence become a weapon of war during the 1994 conflict in Rwanda?’ It does so by analyzing ethnic and gender identities in Rwanda prior to 1994. It delves into the manners in which media played a role in shaping narratives of identity which might have triggered an upsurge of sexually violent actions among the Rwandan population. Finally the paper will uncover the how the government exploited notions of identity in order to increase the incidence of rape during the genocide of 1994. Furthermore the paper revolves around the terminology of sexual violence as a weapon of war, aiming to uncover the significance of such terminology, while making use of it in the research.Show less
