When the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) picked up arms to fight against an ethnically divisive government that had kept Rwandans in exile for decades and those in the country in bondage, women played a major role, not only behind the scenes but also on the frontline.

Women and girls formed a major part of the liberation struggle, providing the critical human resource to support in command, on the frontline and served in different roles, including medical care, mobilization and fundraising, among other.

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Among the many women who participated in the struggle is Major (Rtd) Nuriat Kaka, who narrates how hundreds of women joined and made pivotal roles, starting from way before the October 1, 1990 the day of the attack.

Nuriat, now in her retirement, recalls how young women decided to abandon what they were doing and join RPF-Inkotanyi, and fight alongside their brothers to dislodge a government that often said that Rwandans in exile should remain there because the country was full.

They went on to play a significant role in stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and took over roles and responsibilities in the government in the aftermath of the genocide, to be part of the rebuilding process.

She was born in Burundi, where her family lived in exile, before relocating to Uganda, where she pursued her primary and secondary education.

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Like many of the fighters who joined the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), the armed wing of RPF-Inkotanyi, she first joined Uganda’s National Resistance Army (NRA), an armed group led by now President Yoweri Museveni.

"We were able to liberate Uganda and became part of the government army. The senior officers in the army who were Rwandan started mobilising us, reminding us of our true identity despite being part of armed forces of another country,” she narrates.

They were often told that time would come and they would go back home to their country and they remained alert.

That time came in 1990 when the RPF-Inkotanyi mobilised and picked up arms, after all efforts to return home peacefully failed.

"During the struggle, I was appointed by the Chairman of the High Command (Maj. Gen Paul Kagame), as a commanding officer of the Yankee Mobile Forces, which was composed of women in the struggle,” says Kaka, who led the unit until the end of the genocide.

War is war

Nuriat recalls that women had no preferential treatment. During war, both women and men are exposed to the same danger, same risks. A bullet does not discriminate between genders.

Women who were part of the struggle had to endure the same difficult challenges, harsh conditions and other challenges specific to women.

"War is war. The situation was similar; we all faced the same problems, despite the fact that of course women share basic problems or have certain problems they face in reality,”

"Otherwise, we had to do everything our brothers were doing. If we had to walk the long distance like our brothers, we would walk, there was no such thing as preferential treatment.”

Nuriat, who is currently an entrepreneur and on-demand consultant, says life ‘in the bush’, as they often say, was the same for women and girls but they had to endure.

She said that women were in different categories; those who joined when they were already soldiers and had experience like herself, and other young women who joined the struggle after the RPA launched the attack.

The young civilian women certainly faced more difficulties.

"Everything was new to them, so we had to go and help them, talk to them but they already had the determination so it was an easy task for us.”

With that kind of solidarity and leadership at the top, they moved forward. There was no looking back.

"Joining the struggle to come and fight for our rights was an achievement we aspired for,” she said, adding that the feeling of knowing that soon they would reclaim their identity was motivation enough.

RPF-Inkotanyi drove out the interim genocidal government and liberated the country on July 4, 1994 and embarked on the journey to rebuild the country.

After accomplishing her mission and returning home safely, Nuriat retired from the army and got married to start her own family in her own country, which to her was a long-held dream.

Nuriat is married to Maj Gen (Rtd) Sam Kaka, the first post-genocide Chief of Staff of the RPA, before it became Rwanda Defence Force.

She pursued and completed her studies with a master’s degree in international relations and political science. In 2010, she was selected to pursue an Agri-preneurship course in the U.S, after which she ventured into farming as a business.

The retired soldier is currently running Rwanda Chic – one of the leading poultry businesses in Rwanda – and also established a consultancy firm that equips women and girls with entrepreneurship skills.

Today, she is among the most outstanding business leaders in Rwanda who has found a calling in offering mentorship in entrepreneurship to women and girls.

A witness to progress

As someone who fought in the liberation struggle, Nuriat has not only been part of the process, she has seen the country rise from ashes to the beacon of hope it is today.

"Before we even talk about the progress, we all know how this country was before and even after the genocide. People who were here in Kigali remember very well,”

"We had no water, no electricity, and no roads. Everything was in shambles, everything was down. Look at us today?” she says, adding that Rwandans are healthy and happy people, especially the young generations.

"For us we are just celebrating because it's unbelievable. Look at the development, the roads, the health sector, the economy,” Kaka says, adding that today when you travel abroad as a Rwandan, people ask you many questions and comment about Rwanda’s progress.

"They talk about how good the leadership is, how we've managed to achieve our goals and the ambition, the way forward of this country. It's very unbelievable,” Kaka says.

RDF making Rwanda proud

Much as she is retired, the retired senior officer is proud of what the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) is today -a modern professional army that was born out of a group of young men and women who set out to liberate their own country.

Ill-equipped but armed with determination and will, RPF-Inkotanyi forces defeated the then government forces, which had the support of different countries and was able to take the country back.

Nuriat says the RDF has come of age, becoming one of the most recognised and respected forces, with well-trained and equipped soldiers ready to defend the country at any given time.

"A lot has been achieved in the army,” she says, adding that thirty years later, Rwanda has become a beacon of hope for the African continent.

It is that "Rwandan” determination and spirit that drives Kaka, even as a businesswoman and farmer, she is not resting on her laurels. She knows there is a lot more she can do to grow and gain.

She encourages women and girls to go out there and seize the opportunity, skill up and put their ideas to fruition because they have a solid foundation.

She compares what those who liberated the country, including herself, did to building the foundation and the structure, and it is the young generations who will take up the mantle to do the finishing of the house.

"We've done the structure. We have done the planning. We've done everything, so please go on and do the small touches but we need to finish the house,” she advises girls.

She is also an active member of Ndabaga, an association that brings together women who played a role in the liberation struggle, which is working to empower women and girls in different ways.