Women genocide survivors in urgent need

Women will take part in judging genocide cases in Rwanda, and a tribunal to be established for adjudicating crimes against humanity in the country will be comprised 30 percent of women, a Rwandan official told a UN General Assembly committee on Wednesday. At a meeting to review issues related to the global advancement of women, the Rwandan representative, Augustus Musenga, said urgent resources were required to provide legal representation and income-generating activities for women, who were “the victims of the worst atrocities” during the 1994 genocide, a UN statement reported. In the genocide’s aftermath, many widows were now heading households. They lived in abject poverty, and they lacked shelter and access to medical services because of financial constraints, Musenga said.