Resource information
Between October 2014 and October 2015, Radio Ishingiro with the support of USAID
Land Project implemented a Communications Campaign focused on influencing the
attitudes and mindsets of men and boys about gender-equal land rights to overcome
traditional norms and beliefs that hinder women from exercising their rights to land. In
particular, the campaign focused on overcoming traditional beliefs and norms that
hinder women from exercising their rights to inter vivos gifts of land (“umunani”)1
, land
inheritance (“Izungura”), and equal participation in household decision-making over
land. To achieve this objective, Radio ISHINGIRO partnered Radio ISANGANO in
Western Province and Radio SALUS in Southern Province.
The Communications Campaign was designed based on the results of a baseline
survey and qualitative research methods, such as Focus Group Discussions and key
informant interviews, which were conducted to assess the attitudes of men and boys
towards gender-equal land rights. The baseline survey was conducted in the
campaign’s four target districts: Gicumbi in the Northern Province, Gatsibo in the
Eastern Province, Gisagara in the Southern Province, and Nyamasheke in the Western
Province. The findings from the quantitative and qualitative research conducted as part
of the baseline surey informed the campaign topics and messages, as well as the
channels of communication utilized by Radio Ishingiro.
This report is divided into two parts. The first section provides and overview of project
activities, describes input received from local authorities on the campaign, presents
challenges faced in implementing the campaign, and offers a set of conclusions. The
second section presents the results of an evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness,
comparing changes in men’s and boys’ attitudes and awareness on gendered land
rights with those reported during the baseline research.
