Association de la Promotion de La Femme et L'Enfant Rwandais

ISSUE:
According to APROFER's 16 team members, Rwandan culture values men more than women, resulting in inequality especially in managing property. While women are responsible for almost all farming and household tasks, they have no power over family wealth. Men do not share with women information about their salaries, and when they die, widows do not understand their rights to property left by their husbands. Women are often evicted from land that is rightfully theirs because there is little knowledge about the laws that protect them among the local population and authorities. Since children also have little knowledge of their property rights, girls may marry early out of economic necessity.

SOLUTION:
This project in the rural district of Kibuye is working to educate the community on domestic violence and women's property rights. Serving estranged couples, youth about to get married, and widows in property disputes with their in-laws, APROFER will train community leaders to follow up on cases of domestic violence with the local authorities. By demonstrating the negative effects of domestic violence through trainings and debates, they will address belief systems among men and women regarding property rights. By creating and supporting a community environment that is educated about violence related to property rights, people will work to combat the issue collectively and have a greater impact on the issue.

IMPACT:
APROFER is estimated to reach 500 people in its first year of operations. The team envisions that education about property rights and law will have an impact on the community's perception of gender equality, and that a greater number of people will be informed and able to defend their legal rights.