Shifting and transforming gender-inequitable beliefs, behaviours and norms in intimate partnerships: the Indashyikirwa couples programme in Rwanda

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between changes in individual beliefs and behaviours, couple relationship dynamics and gender norms – and how interventions can influence these. It draws on longitudinal qualitative research with heterosexual couples who participated in the Indashyikirwa programme in Rwanda. The couples followed a curriculum designed to improve relationship skills and reduce the gender-inequitable beliefs, behaviours and norms that underpin intimate partner violence. Qualitative findings show that the programme resulted in moderate, but significant, positive ‘shifts’ in individual beliefs and behaviours, couple relationship dynamics and levels of inequality - increasing men’s engagement in domestic duties, women’s participation in household decision making, and women’s access to economic resources. They also suggest which parts of the couples’ curriculum were most effective in catalysing these changes. However, the data also show that these ‘shifts’ occurred without fully transforming deeply-entrenched beliefs and norms around gender roles and male authority over economic resources. The paper suggests that the persistence of these beliefs and norms constrained the extent of changes among couples – and could potentially constrain their longevity and act as an obstacle to longer-term, larger-scale changes in gender inequalities and violence.

Keywords:

• Gender norms
• gender inequalities
• intimate partner violence
• gender roles
• household decision-making
• male authority
• Rwanda

Acknowledgements

This paper is an output from the What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Programme funded by UK Aid from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The funding was managed by the South African Medical Research Council. The views expressed and information contained within it are not necessarily those of, or endorsed, by DFID, which accepts no responsibility for such views and/or information, or for any reliance placed on them.

Disclosure statement

All authors have declared that no conflicts of interest exist.

Notes

1 We use the term ‘gender inequity’ to refer to unfair, avoidable injustice and ‘gender inequality’ to refer to an imbalance in the distribution of resources on the basis of gender. ‘Gender-inequitable’ beliefs, behaviours and norms justify, promote or result in the unfair treatment of men and women based on their needs.

2 Ridgeway defines a ‘cultural frame’ as a ’shared cultural system for categorising and defining ‘who’ you and the other in the situation ‘are’, and based on that categorisation, how you are expected to behave’ (ibid p315).

3 RNECREF: 340/RNEC/2015); NISR REF: 0738/2015/10/NISR). Secondary approval was also obtained from the South Africa Medical Research Council (REF: EC033-10/2015) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (REF: 10339).

4 The retention of 14 or 15 couples for the duration of the research reflects the 98% completion rate of the curriculum. This can be explained by a combination of factors. First, Rwandan citizens are expected to participate regularly in community meetings and do so. Second, the qualitative and monitoring data attest to how much participants valued the programme. Third, following curriculum completion, RWAMREC staff followed up with couples twice a year and were regularly in the communities.

5 All the transcripts were coded by the third author and then analysed for this article by the first author.

6 The ‘G is for Gender’ sessions include a ‘gender lifelines’ exercise where participants discuss the difference between gender and sex and gender socialisation. They then discuss why men and women do or don’t perform certain activities and whether they could.

7 During ‘The 24–hour day’ exercise, participants work in small groups to imagine a typical day in the lives of a husband and a wife in their community. They list the typical tasks performed by each and whether these tasks are paid or unpaid. This is used to prompt a discussion about the quantity of tasks done by men and women, which are considered as ‘work’, who has leisure time and the impacts of this workload.