Empowering Women in Rural Rwanda
WFP and partners work together to reduce gender-based violence and improve gender equality
Story by Daniel Kibsgaard
As the international community observes the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, WFP has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and UN Women to empower rural women in Rwanda through the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (RWEE).
The programme aims to transform gender relations among rural community members by giving these women the tools to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty, which also contributes to reducing gender-based and intimate partner violence
Women are supported to participate in small-scale savings groups, learn new skills and engage in income generating activities. They are also encouraged to think big and work for progress within their communities.
Isabella Uwizeyimana, a maize farmer from the Coopabinya farmer cooperative in southern Rwanda, attributes her success to RWEE’s training on improved agriculture practices and post-harvest handling. The programme drastically increases farm productivity and further supports farmers with infrastructure such as drying sheds to maximize the quality and quantity of produce to be sold at the market.
“After being trained, I applied what I learned and was able to increase my maize production from less than 200 kilos a season to nearly one metric ton and now without post-harvest food loss,” Isabella added. This has directly resulted in an increase of income for Isabella and her family.
“RWEE also gave me financial planning skills to further improve my household income,” Isabella explained. “With this, I was able to save and buy a cow. My cow already has had two calves, so that I now have three in total. My children drink milk every day and I have enough manure to use as fertilizer for my maize field, further improving my yields,” she added.
Gender Action Learning System (GALS)
“GALS is an approach which inspires both women and men to plan together, create jobs and diversify incomes to end the cycle of poverty among rural communities,” said Jeannine Kabanyana, RWEE coordinator at IFAD.
This initiative enables both men and women to gain knowledge on gender roles in family management to transform gender relations and contribute to reducing gender-based and intimate partner violence.
Isabella now things differently about gender norms, such as the tradition of thinking that land belongs only to men. Isabella and her husband are one of many beneficiaries of the joint programme inspired to opt for a marriage settlement based on joint ownership of their property for the good of their family.
“My spouse and I have equal rights to our land, we plan together for our family and we have equal say in making decisions for our family’s progress,” Isabella said.
As a result of their economic empowerment with the support of RWEE, participants have also gained self-confidence. Many have taken up leadership positions in local councils and women’s councils at the community level, contributing to decision making up to the district level. Isabella has been president of the Coopabinya cooperative since 2018.
“I chair meetings and contribute to making good decisions towards my community’s development” said Isabella.
The skills gained from RWEE have been particularly critical for participants coping with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas of Rwanda. The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women reports that globally the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an alarming increase in multiple forms of violence against women and girls, especially physical, psychological, sexual and economic forms of domestic violence. The rise is fuelled by household economic challenges, food insecurity and confined living conditions due to lockdown and social isolation measures.
“The situation was very challenging as we were not allowed to leave our homes due to the pandemic,” said Isabella. However, her newfound economic empowerment and the subsequent transformation of household relations enabled Isabella and her husband to work together to meet the family’s challenges during this period.
“I am happy because I experience gender equality with my husband. During the height of the pandemic when we were in lockdown, we were both at home supporting our children and jointly contributing to the family,” she said.
