Intimate partner violence in Rwanda: women’s voices

This report examines women’s responses to situations of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Rwanda. We draw on interviews with women who have experienced violence, focus groups with community members, and interviews with service providers. IPV is broadly defined here, consistent with how participants talked about violence in their own lives. Their definition of IPV included physical, economic, sexual and psychological forms of violence perpetrated by their intimate partners, including married and unmarried partners. This report was written by researchers belonging to the Health, Community and Development Group at the London School of Economics. The report is the result of a preliminary set of interviews and focus groups with individuals in Rwanda. It is not a formal research study, but rather an initial investigation carried out for the purposes of strengthening community responses to intimate partner violence and collaboration among non-governmental organisations working in this area.