Passion or Profession: prime minister

Period: 1953–1994

Although Uwilingiyimana was prime minister for less than a year, her rise to head of government is seen as a victory for women’s rights in Africa. She is also seen as a hero because she used her political influence to try to heal the wounds caused by ethnic hatred and killings. However, it was this hatred that was her undoing. She was killed in the 1994 genocide because she was a Hutu moderate.