More than a million people were killed in the devastating genocide of 1994. After the conflict ended, more than 70% of the population was female. The war had a disproportionately strong impact on women as rape and genocide survivors, widows, heads of households, and caretakers of orphans. Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has become a model of peace and reconciliation on the continent.
- In 2008, Rwanda became the first country in the world to have a female majority (56%) in Parliament, including the Speaker of the House.
- Laws were changed allowing women the right to own land and property.
- Rwanda became one of the few nations in the developing world that spends more on education than on the military.
- Since 1994, Rwanda has cut its foreign aid in half and per capita GDP has nearly tripled. Rwanda’s economy has shown resilience, growing at an average of 8 percent annually over the last several years.
- The tourism sector has experienced profound growth, becoming the largest foreign exchange earner. In 2010, the total tourism receipts in Rwanda was more than $200 million USD.
- In 2009, Transparency International identified Rwanda as the least corrupt nation in East Africa and the Great Lakes Region, and President Paul Kagame was awarded the 2009 Clinton Global Citizen Award for Public Service.
- The Doing Business Report of the World Bank Group named Rwanda as the world’s top reformer in creating a business-friendly environment. No sub-Saharan country has ever received this distinction.
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa, but does not have sufficient land to be an agricultural economy to support its people. The government has developed a strategic plan to shift Rwanda away from an economy based on subsistence agriculture to a more diversified, knowledge-based economy, expanding the service and IT industries. President Kagame defines this vision as the roadmap to becoming the “Singapore of Africa”. Business reforms have been implemented to promote Rwanda as a business and investment destination, and to focus on the industries that have the potential to grow and create more jobs. By 2020, Rwanda aims to move from a low-income country (from per capita income of $290 USD) to a middle-income country (per capita income of about $900 USD per year). Rwanda will reduce its dependency on foreign aid as the entrepreneurial capacity of their local industries is developed. Young Rwandans will be able to take advantage of new opportunities if they receive the skills and education that is relevant to the needs of the local private sector.
"1994 will forever remain imprinted in my memory. We need to educate our new generation about what happened even as we forge ahead with nation building. Yes, I must say that it is difficult, but somehow one must gather the strength to carry on with the mission I seek for a better life ahead."