rape during the Rwandan genocide

The rape component of the Rwandan genocide refers to the systematic and widespread sexual assault of Tutsi women and some Hutu women perceived as pro-Tutsi by perpetrators during the Rwandan genocide that occurred between April 7 and July 4, 1994. The United Nations International Tribunal for Rwanda stated that rape was 'intrinsic' to the genocidal campaign directed against the Tutsi population. According to various estimates, between 250,000 and one million women and girls were raped during this period, making Rwanda's rape rate the highest ever recorded in such a short period of time. The violence committed against women and girls during the genocide was not only about physical violation but also aimed at exterminating the Tutsi people through forced pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.