Intersectionalities of formality of marital status and women’s risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence in Rwanda

Indashyikirwa is an intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention programme being implemented by CARE International Rwanda, Rwanda Women’s Network and Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre in Rwanda. One critical aspect of the programme is a 5-month curriculum to promote equitable, violence-free relationships among formally and informally married heterosexual couples. This article complements existing evidence in Rwanda around how formality of marital status influences women’s access to rights, social status, risk and protective factors for IPV, and highlights barriers to formalising marriage–primarily lack of financial means and gendered inequalities. It draws on research of Indashyikirwa, including interviews with 15 male and 15 female partners of formally and informally married couples, 9 community leaders, 3 women’s space facilitators, 9 staff members, 12 community activists and 24 focus groups with community members. Interviews and focus groups were conducted in Kinyarwanda, transcribed and translated into English, and analysed thematically. The findings indicate poor legal protection and related limited institutional responses for informally married women who experience IPV. An intersectional lens supports recommendations to address such inequalities, including raising awareness among women in informal marriages about strategies to ensure rights for themselves and their children, and to legally acknowledge informal unions after a certain period of cohabitation.