Judith Kanakuze

Judith Kanakuze
Kanakuze in 2007
Born	(1959-09-19)19 September 1959 Rusizi District, Ruanda-Urundi
Died	7 February 2010 (aged 51)
Nationality	Rwandan
Known for	Rwandan women's rights activism
Political party	Rwandan Patriotic Front (from 2008)

Judith Kanakuze (19 September 1959 – 7 February 2010) was a Rwandan politician and women's rights activist best known for passing legislation against gender-based violence, including Rwanda's first legal definition of rape, and contributing constitutional gender quotas that required women's representation in governmental bodies. She worked in multiple fields, including nutrition and civil service, before becoming a prominent leader of women after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which she lost most of her extended family. Kanakuze founded the early women's organization Réseau des Femmes and represented women's interests at the Arusha Accords and on Rwanda's committee to establish a constitution. The gender quotas that required women to compose at least 30 percent of governmental bodies subsequently quickly spurred women's participation to exceed the quotas in parliament. She was elected to Parliament in 2003 and reelected in 2008. During her terms, she presided over the Rwanda Women Parliamentary Forum.