Gendercidal Violence and the Technologies of Othering in Libya and Rwanda

Abstract

Drawing on Foucault’s concept of governmentality, this article maps gendercidal strategies of othering as these pertain to examples of mass violence in Africa, particularly in Rwanda and Libya. The argument is built around two gendered technologies of power, namely protectionist mythmaking and essentialised agentic inclusions. It is argued that the subtle yet insidious technologies of othering are bolstered by international interventionist and protectionist discourses, as well as a large-scale denial of women’s agency in violence. Despite overwhelming evidence of the targeting of males during genocide, cultural stereotypes continue to drive conventional narratives. I conclude that a gender lens that focuses on both men and women’s experiences offers a more inclusive way of resisting the silencing of the other.