London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

For the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the Gender Violence Health Centre (GVHC) hosts an annual seminar series at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). This year’s series will highlight the research underway by the GVHC.

The series will begin on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) and will run until Human Rights Day (10 December).

2018 marks the 27th year of the campaign.

Erin Stern will present an overview of Indashyikirwa, a community intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention programme that was implemented by CARE Rwanda, Rwanda Women's Network and Rwanda Men's Resource Center (RWAMREC) in rural Rwanda from August 2014-August 2018. There are four main components to the programme: (1) Intensive participatory training with couples (Couples’ Curriculum); (2) Community-based activism with a sub-set of trained couples; (3) Support to survivors of IPV through women’s safe spaces; and (4) Training and engagement of opinion leaders.

The Indashyikirwa programme was rigorously evaluated as part of the DFID-UK funded What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Programme. At this seminar, Erin will share how the qualitative evaluation research informed and strengthened this piloted programme, including adaptation processes from evidence based programmes like SASA!, drawing on social norms that can condone or work against IPV, and responding to beneficiary feedback. Erin will also share some of the emerging lessons learned through the qualitative research around how and why the programme worked to prevent and respond to IPV.