Bandebereho Couples Program in Rwanda
Problems addressed
Violence against women
Low parental skills
Effectiveness

Effective

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Effective

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Life periods served
Children (4 to 13 years)
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Community (streets or community centers)
Country of application
Rwanda
Description

This is a program for couples aimed at reducing physical and sexual violence between intimate partners, promoting women’s health with male accompaniment, modern use of contraceptives, and support to the partner during pregnancy.
The criteria for taking part in the program included being married or living in the same house, having children up to 5 years old or unborn, living near the health centers where the intervention took place, and men being between 21-35 years old.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that one year after the program was implemented, the women in the intervention group reported less physical and sexual violence from their partners, as well as greater male assistance and accompaniment in care during the prenatal period, than the control group [1].
Couples reported less physical punishment of their children, greater use of contraceptives, higher levels of male involvement in childcare and household chores, and less male dominance in decision-making. A Randomized Controlled Trial was carried out in four districts in Rwanda, comprising 1,200 couples [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Doyle, K., Levtov, R. G., Barker, G., Bastian, G. G., Bingenheimer, J. B., Kazimbaya, S., Nzabonimpa, A., Pulerwitz, J., Sayinzoga, F., Sharma, V. & Shattuck, D. (2018). Gender-transformative Bandebereho couples' intervention to promote male engagement in reproductive and maternal health and violence prevention in Rwanda: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. PloS One, 13(4), e0192756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192756

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