THIS WEEK ON TO THE CONTRARY: FIRST, WHAT'S CAUSING THE CLASSROOM GENDER GAP?

THEN, IS DONALD TRUMP SEXIST?

BEHIND THE HEADLINES: RWANDAN WOMEN RISING, HOW WOMEN REBUILT A NATION.

HELLO, I'M BONNIE ERBE.

WELCOME TO TO THE CONTRARY, A DISCUSSION OF NEWS AND SOCIAL TRENDS FROM DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES.

UP FIRST, THE GENDER GAP IN EDUCATION.

WHY DO GIRLS OUTPERFORM BOYS IN SCHOOL?

IT'S A QUESTION THAT HAS STUMPED EXPERTS SINCE THE TREND BEGAN IN THE 1950S.

NEW RESEARCH FROM A TEAM OF ECONOMISTS FROM MIT, NORTHWESTERN, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA MAY HAVE THE ANSWER.

ACCORDING TO THEIR ANALYSIS, THE GENDER GAP WAS MINIMAL FOR BOYS FROM AFFLUENT FAMILIES.

IT WAS ALSO SLIM AT THE TOP SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA.

BUT, THE WORST-PERFORMING SCHOOLS SHOWED THE LARGEST GAP BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS.

EVEN AFTER CONTROLLING FOR THE FACT THAT ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGES AND UPBRINGING CAN CAUSE BOYS PROBLEMS, THE GAP PERSISTS, WHICH MEANS THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES ARE PART OF THE ISSUE.

THE STUDY SAYS MORE RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS WHICH ARE MAKING THE GAP PERSIST.

SO DEBRA, MEN OUTPERFORM WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE YET GIRLS OUTPERFORM BOYS IN SCHOOL.

HOW DOES THAT WORK?

>> I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENT CRITERIA IN ACADEMICS FOR EVALUATION THAN THE WORKFORCE.

>> THERE'S DATA THAT SHOWS READING PROFICIENCY IS THE REASON GIRLS PERFORM.

I AMIESTIFIED.

>> I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY WE PUNISH KIDS IN SCHOOL AND IN THE WORKPLACE IT'S DISCRIMINATION.

>> WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT BOYS AND GIRLS ARE DIFFERENT.

THEY ARE OFTEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE GOING TAUGHT IN THE SAME WAY AND IT DOES NOT WORK FOR LITTLE BOYS.

>> WHY?

>> BOYS HAVE TROUBLE CONCENTRATING.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE TROUBLE CONCENTRATING AND SITTING STILL AND THEY ARE PUNISHED MORE OFTEN.

THEY DO NOT GET AS MANY AWARDS AND FEWER YOUNG MEN ARE HEADING OFF TO COLLEGE.

>> WHY IS IT THAT AFFLUENT FAMILIES, BETTER SCHOOLS CAN DEAL WITH IT AND LOW INCOME SCHOOLS CANNOT DEAL WITH IT?

>> I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS WAY MORE COMPLEX THAN THE ECONOMICS AT HOME.

BECAUSE BOYS ARE COMING FROM MORE AFFLUENT BACKGROUNDS DOES NOT CLOSE THAT GENDER GAP.

I AM NOT CONVINCED ON THAT.

>> I HAVE HAD CHILDREN IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AROUND THE SAME AGE AND THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS HAVE MORE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.

NOT NECESSARILY BAD BUT ENERGY ISSUES.

IN THE PRIVATE SCHOOL THEY ARE RUNNING AROUND DOING THEIR SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS NOT SITTING AT THE DESK LIKE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.

THEY STARTED THEIR DAYS WITH HEADSETS LISTENING TO MUSIC AND READING OR PLAY.

THERE WERE DIFFERENT WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE ENERGY WITH THE CHILDREN WHICH COMES INTO PLAY WITH BOYS AND GIRLS AT THAT AGE.

>> AND WE ARE MORE PUNITIVE HOW WE DEAL WITH DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

>> HOW SO AND WHY?

BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE PROBLEMS AND FEWER RESOURCES.

>> THERE'S DATA HOW WE CHOOSE TO PUNISH KIDS AND WE ARE MORE PUNITIVE IN LOW INCOME SCHOOLS.

WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A SCHOOL-PRISON PIPELINE AND RESOURCE OFFICERS BASED ON THE INCOME LEVEL MORE SO THAN BASED ON THE TYPE OF ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE AT THE SCHOOL.

SO THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE PUNITIVE PROBLEMS.

WHEN YOU ARE SUSPENDED YOU ARE GETTING ZEROS AND THAT WILL HAVE IMPACTS ON YOUR GPA.

>> AND REMEMBER IN POORER COMMUNITIES THERE'S MORE SINGLE PARENTS.

MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN HOME FOR SNOW DAYS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW SINGLE MOMS DO IT BUT THERE IS LESS DISCIPLINE AND THE CHILDREN GET LESS ATTENTION AND IT TRANSLATES TO THE SCHOOLS.

THAT IS ALSO A PART OF IT.

>> AND MORE DATA I CAME ACROSS TIME SPENT ON HOMEWORK IS ONE OF THE REASONS, GIRLS SPEND MORE TIME ON HOMEWORK.

AND BACK TO YOUR POINT OF WHO IS POLICING YOU AT HOME THOSE AFFLUENT HOMES WHERE PARENTS HAVE MORE TIME AND TWO PARENTS ARE THERE THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN TO SPEND ON HOMEWORK THEY ARE MORE STRUCTURED.

>> I AM SURPRISED THAT NONE OF YOU IN THE OPEN ROUND ROBIN SAID THAT THE REASON THAT BOYS ARE PERFORM LESS WELL WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG AND OUT PERFORM WOMEN IS WHEN THEY ARE OLDER IS SEXISM DOES NOT SET IN.

LITTLE KIDS ARE NOT SEXIST, RIGHT?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

>> IT'S CULTURE THAT EXACERBATES THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GENDERS?

>> I BELIEVE IT'S CULTURE THAT EXACERBATES IT.

BUT PEOPLE ARE CLANNISH IN TERMS OF WHO THEY PLAY WITH WHAT IS GIRLY AND WHAT IS NOT.

THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF BABY SEXISM.

[LAUGHTER] >> IT IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND I DO NOT LIKE TO DO POP PSYCHOLOGY AND I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA.

THERE'S GOOD QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE FIGURED OUT.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH YET.

WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WOMEN THINK WITH TWO LOBES AND MEN THINK WITH ONE LOBE.

WHAT IS OUR ACADEMIC STRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT SET WELL WITH BOYS BEING MORE FOCUSED THIS WAY AND GIRLS BEING BETTER AT THE MULTITASKING.

>> I THINK FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO DIFFERENCES WITH THE GENDERS WE ARE ALL EQUAL BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES.

AND ONE THING THE SCHOOLS NEED TO DO AND WE HAVE HAD WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND TEACHERS ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB.

>> THEY GET PICKED ON SO MUCH.

>> I DO THINK THE CULTURE AT SCHOOLS AND THE LEADERSHIP AT SCHOOLS WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT BOYS AND GIRLS ARE DIFFERENT AND THAT IS OK AND CELEBRATE THE DIFFERENCES.

THAT MIGHT RESULT IN IMPROVEMENTS.

>> WHY IS IT THAT WE TEACH IN A WAY THAT IS MORE GIRL-FRIENDLY, LITTLE KIDS YOUNG KIDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS EVEN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS IN A WAY THAT IS MORE FREE MAIL-FRIENDLY?

>> I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE STATISTICS HOW MANY FEMALE TEACHERS WE HAVE IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS VERSES MALE TEACHERS.

>> AND A NEW TREND WHICH IS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR NIBBLING A POP TART IN THE SHAPE OF A GUN.

BOYS DO SILLY THINGS I'M SURPRISED I HAVE NOT BEING CALLED ABOUT A NERF GUN GETTING SMUGGLED INTO THE BACKPACK.

THE POLICIES ARE PROBLEMS FOR BOYS.

THOSE POLICIES NEED TO STOP.

>> AND WHEN DO THEY COME ALONG?

WHAT IS THE HISTORY?

>> YOU CAN TRACE IT BACK TO THE FEAR OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND I FEEL SYMPATHY FOR ADMINISTRATORS WHO PARENTS WANT SAFETY TO BE NUMBER ONE BUT THEN YOU HAVE THESE POLICIES THAT ARE DEVELOPED THAT END UP HURTING THE KIDS FOR DOING THINGS THAT BOYS DO.

>> EXACTLY.

>> IT WOULD SEEM AN EASY FIX TO TELL LOW INCOME SCHOOLS NOT TO PENALIZE BOYS SO MUCH TO SETUP GET MONEY FROM SOMEWHERE OR TAKE A TEACHER AND SETUP A PROGRAM LET THEM GO BOXING LET THEM GO RUNNING, LET THEM PLAY FOOTBALL AND GET IT OUT OF THEIR SYSTEM.

>> RELYING ON LOGIC.

[LAUGHTER] >> IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

>> AND WE ARE CUTTING RECESS TIME MORE AND MORE OUT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND EVEN SOME OF OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

WHEN I HEAR LESS RECESS MAYBE TWICE A WEEK, I THINK ARE YOU CRAZY?

LET THESE KIDS MOVE AND LET THEM GO AND GET THEIR ENERGY OUT.

>> A NEW STUDY THAT SAYS KIDS ARE GETTING 4-7 MINUTES OF OUTDOOR PLAY A DAY AND THAT IS NOT ENOUGH AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THE BOYS.

>> WHAT ABOUT BASKETBALL?

>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FREE PLAY OUTSIDE IN THE AIR THE AMERICAN ACADEMY SAYS THIS IS CRITICAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN.

>> AND YOU ARE ON TO SOMETHING.

>> IS THAT MORE IMPORTANT FOR BOYS THAN GIRLS?

>> LOOK, I AM A MOM OF THREE BOYS SO I CAN SPEAK THAT GOODNESS THEY ARE WILD MEN WHEN THEY COME OUT OF SCHOOL AND I KNOW GIRLS WHO ARE -- I AM AMAZED THEY SIT DOWN AND COLOR THEY ARE POLITE AND QUIET.

SO I KNOW IT IS A GENERALIZATION BUT I HAVE TO SAY PHYSICAL EXERCISE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR BOYS.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @BONNIEERBE.

FROM PERFORMANCE GAPS TO POLITICAL GAMES.

THE FINAL GOP DEBATE BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST, THE IOWA CAUCUSES, WENT ON WITHOUT THE REPUBLICAN FRONT-RUNNER DONALD TRUMP.

INSTEAD TRUMP HOSTED AN IOWA FUNDRAISER FOR VETERANS AND WOUNDED WARRIORS.

HE BOYCOTTED THE FOX NEWS-GOOGLE DEBATE BECAUSE FOX REFUSED TO BUMP ANCHOR MEGYN KELLY AS ONE OF THE MODERATORS.

TRUMP EXPLODED WHEN SHE ASKED HIM IN A DEBATE LAST SUMMER TO EXPLAIN OFFENSIVE COMMENTS HE MADE DENIGRATING WOMEN.

TRUMP CHARGES KELLY TREATED HIM UNFAIRLY THEN AND LATER IN A COMMENTARY ABOUT HIM.

FOX PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING "THE AYATOLLAH AND PUTIN BOTH INTEND TO TREAT DONALD TRUMP UNFAIRLY WHEN THEY MEET WITH HIM IF HE BECOMES PRESIDENT."

ON TWITTER TRUMP WROTE, "I REFUSE TO CALL MEGYN KELLY A BIMBO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT BE POLITICALLY CORRECT, INSTEAD I WILL ONLY CALL HER A LIGHTWEIGHT REPORTER!"

>> SO, IF HE SAID I'M NOT GOING TO CALL HER A BIMBO ISN'T THAT LIKE CALLING HER A BIMBO AND WAS IS SEXIST?

>> IT WAS COMPLETELY SEXIST AND TO CALL HER A LIGHTWEIGHT REPORTER AFTER THAT WAS WORSE.

>> TED CRUZ SAID IN THE REPUBLICAN DEBATE LET'S GET IT OUT IN THE OPEN WE ARE ALL FAT AND STUPID AND UGLY AND NOW WE ARE BEYOND TRUMP NOT BEING HERE.

>> I MEAN HE HAS THROWN CIVILITY OUT THE WINDOW.

NO LONGER EXISTS AND THE G.O.P.

PRIMARY BECAUSE OF HIM.

I THINK GOING BACK TO THE MEGYAN KELLY POINT I THINK IT WAS UP FAIR.

I WAS NEVER A FAN OF MEGYAN KELLY BUT I WAS ALSO NOT A FAN.

NOT NOT A FAN WHAT I MEAN IS SHE WAS DOING HER JOB IT WAS HER DUTY TO ASK HIM THE QUESTION SHE ASKED AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR FIVE MONTHS.

THE WOMAN WAS DOING HER JOB AND ASKED A FAIR QUESTION AND HE SLAMMED HER FOR IT.

HE SAYS HE CHERISHES WOMEN HE CHERISHES NO ONE BUT HIMSELF.

>> IS HE SEXIST?

>> YES.

[LAUGHTER] YES.

YES.

AND YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY I -- >> I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I CAN'T RECALL, IT'S JUST TOO LONG A LIST OF THE NUMBER OF SEXIST MEN WHO WILL SAY I LOVE MY DAUGHTER, I LOVE MY WIFE, MY WIFE IS A BIG SUCCESS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

>> THAT IS -- >> SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE.

>> CLOSE SECOND TO I HAVE A BLACK FRIEND IT'S JUST LIKE THAT.

HE IS CLEARLY SEXIST.

I THINK THAT REAL DEAL IS HE IS APHENOMENA FRAYED OF HER.

I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN VIDEO CLIPS THEY HAD WAITING FOR HIM BECAUSE THEY WERE PREPARED WITH THAT DEBATE.

I THINK HE RESPECTS HER TO THE CONTRARY WHAT HE IS SAYING HE RESPECTS HER TO A GREAT DEGREE THAT HE IS AFRAID TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH HER BECAUSE HE CAN TELL SHE IS NOT AFRAID TO ASK HIM THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.

>> I THINK WOMEN AND MOMS ARE REALLY GOOD AT SPOTTING A TEMPER TANTRUM.

I CAN SPOT ONE AND THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING THAT HE THROUGH A TEMPER TANTRUM BECAUSE SHE ASKED HIM A TOUGH QUESTION.

IF YOU WATCHED THE DEBATE SHE DOES NOT RESERVE THAT FOR TRUMP.

EVERYBODY GOT TOUGH QUESTIONS THIS IS HER JOURNALISTIC DUTY.

I THINK MEGYAN KELLY IS POPULAR NOT JUST WITH REPUBLICAN WOMEN BUT PEOPLE LIKE HER.

SALLY COHEN A NOTED LIBERAL COMMENTATOR WROTE A WONDERFUL PIECE ABOUT MEGYAN KELLY.

I THINK THERE IS AN APPRECIATION OF MEGYAN KELLY AS A PERSON, A JOURNALIST.

AND I DO NOT THINK IT WAS SMART WHAT HE HAS DONE TO ATTACK HER.

>> TANTRUMS, ALL MY CHILDREN ARE FOUR-LEGGED.

BUT I CAN SPOT A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS.

HIS CANDIDACY HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TANTRUM AFTER TANTRUM AFTER TANTRUM YET HE STILL HAS A LOT OF SUPPORTERS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

>> HIS LIFE IS A TANTRUM.

OK. YOU KNOW.

IT'S JUST THERE'S NEVER A BREAK.

SO DANGEROUS TO ME ABOUT DONALD TRUMP IF HE GOES TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR THAT HE CAN FIND.

AND SO IT'S NEGATIVITY, IT'S ANTIINTELLECTUALISM.

>> SOMEBODY DID A STUDY HOW HE SPEAKS HE SPEAKS AT THE FOURTH GRADE LEVEL.

>> SO TO THAT POINT THAT IS WHAT IS DANGEROUS ABOUT HIM.

AND THAT HE IS RALLYING THE ANGER AND THE HATRED AND THE FRUSTRATION NOT IN AN INTELLIGENT WAY BUT IN A SCARY AND SCHOOL BOY BULLY WAY AND THEY GO YEAH HE IS OUR BULLY.

HE IS A BULLY.

>> DO YOU KNOW REPUBLICAN WOMEN WHO ARE SUPPORTING HIM?

>> I'VE HEARD OF THOSE WOMEN, YEAH, THEY ARE NOT MY FRIENDS.

>> WHAT IS IN IT FOR THEM?

>> HE HAS TAPPED INTO DISSATISFACTION WITH THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I DO NOT AGREE WITH SUPPORTING DONALD TRUMP.

BUT I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE CHARACTERIZED ANYBODY WHO SUPPORTS TRUMP AS THIS WEIRD HILLBILLY WHO HATES EVERYONE AND LIKES THAT HE GOES OFF THE HANDLE.

THERE IS GENUINE INDISSATISFACTION WITH THE PARTY.

>> THAT IS WHAT THE TEA PARTY WAS ABOUT.

>> AND HE TAPPED INTO THAT.

>> WHAT ABOUT WOMEN?

YOU COULD SEE WHERE A GUY WOULD BE DRAWN TO HIS PARTICULARLY, I HAVE TO SAY, LESS EDUCATED MEN, WOULD BE DRAWN TO HIS BRAVADO.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WOMEN?

>> THAT TOTALLY BAFFLES ME.

ROSIE O'DONNELL IS NO CONSERVATIVE THE STUFF HE SAID ABOUT HER THAT TURNED MY STOMACH.

I DO NOT WANT ANYONE TREATED THAT WAY.

SO I AM BAFFLED BY.

>> BUT FORGIVEN.

>> HE GETS FORGIVEN BECAUSE OF OTHER ISSUES.

AND KNOWING SOME OF THE WOMEN THAT I KNOW SUPPORT TRUMP IMMIGRATION.

THEY CARE ABOUT THAT MORE THAN THE SNARKINESS OR MEGYAN KELLY.

THERE ARE STARK HARD ISSUES THAT HE TAPS INTO AND WOMEN DO NOT JUST VOTE IN WOMEN'S INTERESTS.

OVER THE YEARS.

WE DON'T HAVE A WOMAN PRESIDENT YET.

>> IMMIGRATION AND MAKING OTHER COUNTRIES PAY FOR MILITARY SUPPORT AND CARPET BOMBING THE TERRORISTS AND BANNING MUSLIMS THOSE ARE HIS MOST OUT FRONT ISSUES, AND THEY ARE ABOUT THE ONLY ONES THAT HE HAS NOT DONE 18 OWE'S ON.

SCANT FIVE YEARS AGO MEGYAN KELLY WAS A FABULOUS JOURNALIST.

20 YEARS AGO HE IS I AM TOTALLY PRO-CHOICE.

AND NOW HE IS PRO-LIFE.

AND HE IS ALSO A HUGE CHRISTIAN ALTHOUGH HE CAN'T QUOTE THE BIBLE CORRECTLY.

>> EXCEPT FOR THOSE FOUR SIGNATURE ISSUES, DON'T WOMEN WORRY ABOUT THAT?

THERE IS NOT AN ISSUE HE HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ON COMPLETELY AND THERE ARE REPORTS I SAW A REPORT ON-LINE SOME FRIEND OF HIS FRIENDS FROM NEW YORK SAID HE IS A NEW YORKER HE IS A LIBERAL.

THIS IS NOT THE MAN I KNOW.

THERE'S EVIDENCE OUT THERE THAT HE IS PANDERING FOR VOTES.

WHY DON'T WOMEN SEE THROUGH THAT?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.

I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHAT WOMEN WOULD REALLY SUPPORT.

I KNOW THERE ARE SOME AND I DON'T GET IT.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT HE KNOWS TO TAP INTO THE FOUNDATION THAT HAS BEEN BUILT.

I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT.

HE TAPPED INTO THE TEA PARTY MADNESS AND RATCHETED UP A NOTCH AND NOW FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THEY HAVE BUILT THIS STRAW HORSE THAT THEY CANNOT TAKE CONTROL OF.

>> ONE THING HERE, WHAT TRUMP'S EVERY OTHER ISSUE IS NATIONAL SECURITY.

I WAS LISTENING TO AN INTERVIEW OF AN IOWA WOMAN WHO TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO KEEP HER KIDS SAFE.

MY KIDS ARE GROWING UP IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY WITHOUT A TERRORIST THREAT AND SHE THINKS THAT TRUMP IS HER GUY.

HE IS BRILLIANT AT MARKETING.

HE IS A REALITY TV GUY.

HE BUILT A SUCCESSFUL REALITY TV SHOW.

HE KNOWS HOW TO TAP INTO WHAT PEOPLE WANT.

>> BUT HE IS GETTING HELP FROM THE MEDIA WHO CANNOT STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM.

>> AND THE INFO MESSAGES, I AM GOING TO BUILD A WALL AND -- AND I WILL DEPORT THE CRIMINALS.

WHO DISAGREES.

IF WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN I ILLEGALLY NOBODY DISAGREES THAT THEY SHOULD BE DEPORTED.

UNDERNEATH THE BLUSTER HE DOES SOMETIMES PROPOSE THINGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ARE COMMON SENSE POLICIES.

ALL RIGHT.

>> BEHIND THE HEADLINES THE RISE OF RWANDA'S WOMEN.

AFTER THE 1994 GENOCIDE THAT WIPED OUT 20% OF THE POPULATION, THE HUTU AND TUTSIE WOMEN JOINED FORCES TO REBUILD THEIR COUNTRY.

EVERY RWANDAN, NO MATTER WHAT AGE HAD SEEN SOMEONE KILLED.

THAT IS HOW MASSIVE AND THOROUGH AND HOW WIDESPREAD AND INTEGRATED INTO ALL THE COMMUNITIES WAS.

>> RWANDA RISING REVISITS THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION UNDERWENT AFTER A MASSACRE THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF NEARLY 800,000 RWANDANS.

SHE RECALLS TELLING THE RWANDAN PRESIDENT THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACING POWER IN WOMEN'S HANDS.

>> I WAS ASKED TO COME AND SPEAK AT A MEETING CALLED WOMEN AS PARTNERS FOR PEACE.

I SAID TO THE PRESIDENT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU COULD DO FOR RWANDA RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO WANT TO HELP IS TO ELEVATE WOMEN.

BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK AT CONGO, RWANDA, ALL THE WARS AND SAY THE ME WARRIOR, LIKE IT'S AWFUL.

WHO WANTS TO GET INVOLVED?

BUT IF YOU HAVE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AND SPEAKING, THAT HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT.

>> WITH SO MANY RWANDAN MEN KILLED OR IN PRISON WOMEN'S INCLUSION IN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT SOARED.

>> THEY GOT THEMSELVES ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION TO CREATE A NEW CONSTITUTION.

AND 30% OF THE SEATS IN THE PARLIAMENT WERE RESERVED WOMEN ONLY.

AND IF YOU JUST TAKE THE PARLIAMENT THEY WERE IN THE 40% OF THE WHOLE PARLIAMENT AND THEN THE 50, 56 AND THERE WAS GOING TO BE AN ELECTION AND THAT POINT THEY BECAME 64% OF THE PARLIAMENT.

>> FOR RWANDAN WOMEN IN POWER WHO WANTED TO HELP WOMEN IT WAS NOT EASY.

ALL TUTSIE WOMEN HAD BEENED AND SOME GANGED UNTIL THEY WERE UNCONSCIOUS.

STILL, THE TUTSIE WOMEN WORKED WITH THE HUTU.

>> YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU ARE SITTING NEXT TO THE MOTHER OF SOMEONE WHO KILLED YOUR THREE CHILDREN?

AND SHE IS TRYING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT HER BOYS AND MEN DID THAT TO YOUR FAMILY.

SO SOMEHOW THEY START WORKING TOGETHER.

THEY ALL STARTED COOKING TOGETHER IN BIG VOLUMES SO THAT THE TUTSIE SURVIVORS WOULD HAVE FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES AT HOME AND THE HU TUVMENT U WOMEN WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO TAKE TO THE PERPETRATORS OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST THOSE TUTSIE WOMAN.

>> POST GENOCIDE TRIALS WERE TAKEN WOMEN WHO SUFFERED WERE CALLED ON TO TESTIFY.

THE AMBASSADOR SHARES A PASSAGE DETAILING THREATS WOMEN AND MEN RECEIVED FOR SPEAKING WITH COURT INVESTIGATORS.

>> THE WOMEN'S NAMES WERE NOT GIVEN IN THE COMMUNITY THEY WERE KNOWN.

IT WAS EASY TO FIGURE OUT WHO WAS GIVING TESTIMONY.

THEY FACED AGGRESSION IN THEIR VILLAGE.

I REMEMBER ONE KEPT FINDING NOTES UNDER HER DOOR THREATENING TO KILL HER IF SHE SPOKE OUT.

>> SURVIVORS, PARTICULARLY WOMEN CHANGED THE FACE OF RWANDA.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT RWANDA NOW, WOMEN ARE HALF THE SUPREME COURT, HALF THE CABINET, THE GREAT MAJORITY IN THE PARLIAMENT.

WHAT DIFFERENCE HAS IT MADE?

WELL, RWANDA IN A DECADE DOUBLED LIFE EXPECTANCY.

THEY REDUCED INFANT CHILD MORTALITY TO A SMALL PERCENT.

THEY TACKLED GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RAPE AND OTHERS.

AND THAT IS THE WORK OF THE WOMEN.

>> SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE RWANDAN WOMEN?

DOES IT HAVE TO TAKE A GENOCIDE TO GET WOMEN TO MAKE PEACE AND REBUILD A NATION?

>> I HOPE NOT.

I THINK WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS THAT WOMEN WERE GIVEN THE ON.

BECAUSE THE MEN WERE ALL DEAD.

>> EXACTLY.

THIS SPEAKS TO THE HEALING POWER AND ALSO THE LEGISLATIVE POWER OF WOMEN TO GET BEYOND CHALLENGES AND PRODUCE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.

>> THE STORY PULLS ON MY HEART STRINGS, THE DAUGHTER WITH THREE GENERATIONS OF UGANDAN ROOTS I HAVE WITNESSED THE WILLPOWER AND DEDICATION OF AFTER FAN WOMEN AND IT SHOWS YOU WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IS NOT JUST A BUZZ PHRASE THIS IS REAL WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE PROBLEMS IF WE LEARN FROM THEM.

>> AMBASSADOR HUNT SETUP AN INSTITUTE TO GET WOMEN MORE INVOLVED IN PEACE MAKING AND NATION REBUILDING.

AMBASSADOR, THE FIRST, U.S.

GLOBAL AMBASSADOR ON WOMEN'S ISSUES IS DOING THE SAME THING AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.

WHY IS IT TAKING SO MUCH EFFORT TO GET WOMEN INVOLVED IN PEACE MAKING?

IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS, RIGHT?

>> IT SHOULD BE.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHO PUTS THOSE WOMEN IN PLACE.

AND IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE PRESIDENT OBAMA THAT PUT THOSE WOMEN THERE.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS WHO WE HAVE IN POWER -- >> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE RWANDAN WOMEN?

>> AS AN AMBASSADOR?

AND HILLARY CLINTON, STATE DEPARTMENT.

I MEAN BUT THAT IS ALL PART OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND WE HAVE TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF WOMEN AND FOCUS AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT FROM OUR GOVERNMENT THAT THEY PUT MORE WOMEN IN THESE POSITIONS.

>> THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL STORY.

PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE HEARING HORRIFYING STORIES ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF WOMEN PARTICULARLY IN ISIS-HELD AREAS.

IT'S BEEN DEPRESSING FOR WOMEN TO SEE THE CONDITIONS THAT MANY WOMEN ARE FACING.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL STORY AND WHAT IS ALSO GREAT THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE CONDITIONS FOR ALL RWANDANS.

>> AND BUILT UP THE ECONOMY.

THAT IS IT FOR THIS EDITION OF TO THE CONTRARY.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE PBS.ORG/TOTHECONTRARY AND WHETHER YOU AGREE OR THINK TO THE CONTRARY SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

FOR A TRANSCRIPT OR TO SEE AN ON-LINE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE OF TO THE CONTRARY VISIT PBS.ORG/TOTHECONTRARY.

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