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An uplifting profile, from Deutsche Welle, of leading women in business and politics and their role in rebuilding Rwanda.

Now more than a decade after the April 1994 genocide that killed 800,000 people, Rwandans have sworn to never forget and to try to forgive. For its part, the government works hard to bring people together as Rwandans rather than members of any ethnic group. Church groups and other international non-governmental agencies also do their part to bring understanding and forgiveness to both Hutu and Tutsi people.  Many traditional taboos were dropped after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Prior to the genocide, women were not allowed to own or inherit land, work for themselves, or even care for cattle. Now, in post-genocide Rwanda, women make up approximately 57 percent of the population aged 20 to 45. To survive, the nation must rely upon its women working in non-traditional roles. 

What is next for Rwanda? The economy is slowly rebounding. Changes to the government and society have resulted in greater opportunities for women. Many social restrictions have been lifted and women are now free to pursue careers than ever before. Many believe that the days of hatred are behind. But the road ahead is far from easy: the country must still deal with AIDS, a generation of orphans, and a largely illiterate public.

In October 2003, 96 percent of Rwanda's registered voters cast their ballots. Remarkable not just for turnout, this election was also a landslide victory for proponents of gender balance in politics. Rwanda now leads the world in the number of women in elected parliamentary positions: 48.8 percent of the lower house of parliament is female.

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For more on the role of women in rebuilding Rwanda, see the WNET PBS show Ladies First.

In Focus documentaries and reports cover business and science, culture and education, historical and present day events as well as sports and leisure. This wide variety of topics is investigated in depth and presented in an informative format, making for captivating television, courtesy of Germany's Deutsche Welle news network.