INDASHYIKIRWA I (Agents for Change)

INDASHYIKIRWA I was a four-year programme implemented between August 2014 and August 2018, operating across 14 sectors in the Eastern, Western, and Northern provinces of rural Rwanda. The programme aimed to address and reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) by shifting social norms and attitudes that condone violence and by providing more empowering responses for survivors. Its overarching goal was to create safer, more equitable communities where both women and men could live free from fear and violence.

During the July 2016–June 2017 period, supported by DFID through CARE International, the programme directly engaged thousands of Rwandans through a combination of training, advocacy, and community activism. The programme was implemented in the following districts: Rwamagana, Kayonza, Bugesera, Burera, Musanze, Rubavu, and Nyabihu.

Key beneficiaries and direct reach included:

• 420 community activists trained to carry change messages into their communities.

• 80 additional activists trained to support community activism initiatives.

• 280 couples identified by district officials as living with GBV, trained during the 16 Days of Activism.

Overall, the programme reached an estimated 416,909 people, creating broad community-level impact while also ensuring that targeted individuals received intensive, hands-on support.

Programme activities combined capacity building, awareness-raising, and direct intervention: community activists were trained to challenge harmful norms, couples living with IPV were empowered through dialogue and skills-building, and the wider community was engaged in initiatives to foster safer, more supportive environments. By addressing both individual behaviors and societal attitudes, INDASHYIKIRWA I worked to ensure sustainable change and long-term reduction in IPV across the target districts.

Through this holistic approach, INDASHYIKIRWA I not only supported survivors and strengthened community activism, but also helped shift social norms, engage men as agents of positive change, and promote gender equality in rural Rwandan communities.