Gender and Learning in Rwanda

This book presents an unparalleled mix of aspiration and achievement, of feminist theory and practice. It does not claim to be complete or final, nor is it a snapshot of a single point in time. It falls into two parts. One part containing scholarly chapters written by academics involved in developing and teaching in the innovative Master’s program in Gender, Culture and development offered from 2011 at the Kigali Institute of Education in Rwanda. The second part contains statements written by students in the first cohort, most of which have been revised and updated. All the contributions are informed by a set of common experiences, but each writer presents her (or his) own perspective. This is most clearly evident in the short chapters written by the women who brought their diverse scholarly backgrounds together in their passion for the scholarly development of other women and men, in an empowering, feminist, educational experience. This mix of experiences and the diversity of writings make the book a challenging read and an invaluable resource for anyone interested in research-based approaches to social change, the weaving of personal experience into scholarly reflections, and in insights into leaders in working towards gender equality, a policy area which affects social relationships throughout a society, including at the most intimate level.