Indashyikirwa IPV Prevention Trial in Rwanda

The purpose of this study is to test whether the Indashyikirwa ("Agents of Change") program is effective at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) in communities in Rwanda. Because IPV has many causes, including factors that operate at the individual, couple, and community levels, the Indashyikirwa program is designed with multiple elements targeting multiple levels. A training program for couples covers gender, power, and relationship skills. Individual graduates this program who are interested and eligible go on to an activist training program to help support sustained change in their communities. Parallel activities operate at the Sector level to create and support change at the community level. Sector level activities include (1) training in gender and IPV prevention for local opinion leaders. (2) Establishment of "Women's Spaces," which are drop in centers that provide support and referrals for women experiencing IPV as well as a wide range of community outreach services to educate communities about, gender, power, women's rights, and violence prevention. Because the intervention is comprised of multiple components and includes elements designed to be delivered at the Sector level, Sectors were chosen as the unit of randomization. 28 sectors spread across 7 districts are participating; randomization as intervention or control was stratified across Districts to ensure adequate geographical spread of program delivery (Rwandan geographic administrative units are: Province \> District \> Sector \> Cell \> Village). Within each randomized sector are two separate assessments of program impact: (1) A "Couple Cohort" comprised of heterosexual couples who enrol together in the couples training program (some of whom continue into the activist training) compared to similarly situated couples in control communities who participate only in a standard, ongoing VSLA (village savings and loan association) program. Couples cohort members (both intervention and control) ar