Bandebereho Programme Demonstrates Long-Lasting Reductions in Violence Against Women and Children in Rwanda

The Bandebereho programme — meaning “role model” in Kinyarwanda — continues to show remarkable, long-term impacts in Rwanda. A six-year follow-up study published in eClinicalMedicine reveals that the programme not only reduces intimate partner violence (IPV) and child physical punishment but also improves maternal and child health, mental health, and couple relationships, demonstrating sustained transformation years after the intervention ended. (Read the study)

About the Bandebereho Programme

Co-developed by the Rwanda Men’s Resource Center (RWAMREC) and partners, Bandebereho is a gender-transformative programme engaging men and their partners to promote:

• Non-violent, respectful couple relationships

• Father engagement in caregiving and reproductive health

• Reduction of intimate partner and child violence

• Improved maternal and child health

The programme consists of 15 participatory sessions for couples that encourage reflection on gender norms, communication, decision-making, and caregiving responsibilities.

Key Findings at Six-Year Follow-Up

The six-year follow-up study assessed over 2,000 participants (1,003 men and 1,021 women) who took part in the original trial (2013–2015). Compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group experienced:

1. Reductions in Violence

• Women were significantly less likely to report physical, sexual, economic, and emotional IPV in the past year.

• Men and women reported lower use of physical punishment with their children.

The reductions in violence ranged from 16 percentage points for sexual IPV to 21 percentage points for emotional IPV, with differences slightly smaller than at the 21-month follow-up but still substantial.

2. Health and Family Outcomes

• Contraceptive Use: Men in the intervention group reported greater use of modern contraception. Women's reports showed a positive trend but were not statistically significant.

• Maternal Health: Women attended slightly more antenatal care (ANC) visits, and both men and women reported increased men’s accompaniment to ANC visits.

• Mental Health: Both women and men in the intervention group reported lower rates of depressive symptoms, and men reported less harmful alcohol use.

3. Relationship and Household Dynamics

• Greater sharing of childcare and household tasks, particularly among men.

• Men were less likely to make final decisions alone regarding household income, expenses, and childbearing decisions; women's reports trended similarly.

• Women continue to spend more time on household tasks than men, highlighting the need for ongoing efforts to redistribute unpaid care work.

Discussion and Implications

The study demonstrates that Bandebereho’s short-term intervention produced long-lasting effects on family violence, health, and relationships. Notably:

• The programme reduced IPV and violent child discipline six years later — longer than any other similar programme evaluated globally.

• Emotional and economic violence, often overlooked in interventions, showed sustained reduction.

• Improvements in mental health, alcohol use, and couple communication suggest that programmes targeting gender norms and relationship skills can have broad and enduring benefits.

• Some challenges remain: violence and gendered household inequality, while reduced, persist. This highlights the need for continued programming and adaptations, including greater focus on equitable distribution of household responsibilities.

Bandebereho’s success underscores the importance of:

1. Engaging both men and women in interventions

2. Addressing gender norms and power dynamics

3. Focusing on the transition to fatherhood as a transformative period

The programme’s holistic approach — supporting parents in their couple and parent–child relationships — is likely key to the sustained impact.

Next Steps and Research Opportunities

Further research could explore:

• Individual trajectories of violence and behavior change over time

• Mechanisms behind improvements in child discipline and mental health

• Concordance between men’s and women’s reports on household tasks and decision-making

• Adaptation and scale-up of the programme in new contexts

Acknowledgements and Funding

This six-year follow-up study was made possible thanks to the women and men who participated, RWAMREC facilitators, and the team at Laterite Ltd. Funding was provided by Echidna Giving Fund, Grand Challenges Canada, and the Oak Foundation. The writing of the manuscript was supported in part by Echidna Giving Fund and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund.

Data Access: Researchers may request access for secondary analysis by contacting KD (K.doyle@equimundo.org).

Declaration of Interests: Some authors were involved in the development and implementation of Bandebereho; funding for the study and related work was provided by philanthropic organizations.

Conclusion

The Bandebereho programme demonstrates that short-term, gender-transformative interventions with parents can achieve sustained reductions in family violence, improve health outcomes, and foster more equitable relationships six years later. By engaging both men and women, emphasizing the benefits of fatherhood, and addressing gender norms, the programme offers a model for long-term, scalable change.

Read the full study: eClinicalMedicine – Bandebereho Six-Year Follow-Up