The medias representation of female war criminals has been a subject of criticism due to bias, lack of representation, and unequal moral accountability. This research project seeks to investigate how newspapers attribute responsibility, stereotypes, and ethical culpability to femal war criminals. Drawing on analythical framewroks developed by Edelman (1993) and Entman (1993), this research delves into the potrayal of women involved in war crimes in Nezavisne Novine and Glas Srpske. Specifically, it scrutinizes the potrayals of Monika Karan-Ilic, Azra Basic, Biljana Plavsic, and Albina Terzic. Through qualitative content analysis and a comparative approach, the study uncovers notable variations in the depiction of these women, encompassing historical references, uncertainties regarding remorse, tacit approval, impartial reporting, and moral accountability. The findings indicate that these representations are shaped by underlying ideological influences and gender stereotypes. Ultimately, the study emphasized the importance of contextualizing these potrayals within broader societal frameworks.

Explorations of womens roles in armed conflict have traditionally focused on women as victims, which has led to a limited understanding of the active roles women have played during and after conflicts. For example, analyses of the roles of women in the 1994 Rwanda genocide have largely focused on the victimization of women through rapes and mutilations, which leaves many dimensions unexplored. Exposing the roles of women in perpetrating violence or reconciliation efforts can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the roles of women in wartime and challenge the traditional gender stereotypes that have denied womens agency dealing with the aftermath of conflict. This study aims to contribute to the literature on women and conflict, specifically ethnic conflict, by providing a broader and thus more accurate picture of the roles of women during and after the Rwanda genocide. This study explores the following question: What roles did Rwandan women play in the genocide and are women revealing their agency and abilities in the aftermath? This thesis explores the gendered nature of the Rwanda genocide as revealed in the violence committed against women and by women during the Rwanda genocide (women as victims and perpetrators), as well as the position of women in post-genocide Rwanda (their agency in reconciliation and reconstruction). This research represents a qualitative study based on information provided by news sources, ethnic conflict and genocide literature, feminist literature, reports by non-governmental organizations, and international organizations including the United Nations (specifically the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) and the World Bank. The roles of women during and after conflict have been traditionally understood from a biased perspective; however, the genocide in Rwanda has revealed the great extent to which women are affected by conflict, participate in conflict, and contribute to reconstruction and reconciliation efforts.