HOW THE GENDER ACTION LEARNING SYSTEM IS IMPACTING LIVES.

Soon after sunrise in Rwanda’s Ngoma and Nyaruguru Districts, Vestine and Jean-Claude walk from their home to their garden, holding hoes in their hands. The married couple work efficiently – and happily – side-by-side, tending to their beans and maize crops. It's a renewed partnership and a product of the UN Joint Programme on Rural Women's Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) programme approach.

When asked about the past, Vestine recalls a disrupted domestic life "characterized by conflict, poverty and lack of confidence in my personal decisions," which caused the couple to separate temporarily.

The Gender Action Learning System (GALS), a key methodology used by the JP RWEE, enables women and men to critically reflect on their relationships and household gender dynamics and jointly plan livelihood strategies. 

As part of the wider JP RWEE programme activities, Vestine enrolled in trainings on agricultural productivity held in the Terimberesake cooperative where the JP RWEE also provided solar-powered irrigation equipment. She reported learning a range of new skills during the training sessions. 

In Rwanda, a climate mitigation component was integrated into the Gender Action Learning System. This was a new approach to the traditional methodology, recognizing the link between advancing women’s economic empowerment and building resilience to climate change. This involved identifying climate challenges and solutions specific to women and men and collaborating to implement these solutions collectively.

"I applied skills acquired through GALS, which not only increased my self-confidence and self-efficacy but also my skills in climate change adaptation and mitigation practices and now I started applying good agricultural practices learned from the programme," she explained.

Jean-Claude also enrolled in the programme and learned how to set up and operate a small-scale mobile phone business while trading goats to expand his income and reinvest in the business.

Now, Jean-Claude and Vestine harvest their maize and beans together. Their yields have more than doubled since enrolling in the programme. The couple generated enough income from selling their crops that they could afford to renovate their home.

855 people (584 women and 271 men) participated in phase one of the Gender Action Learning System in Rwanda. The successful model has now been rolled out across three other districts including Gisagara, Kirehe and Nyamashekereaching over 8,700 individuals 91.54% increase, of which more than 70 percent are women.

The Terimberesake cooperative, consisting of 75 women and 7 men, continues to focus on horticulture, improved household relationships, and equitable divisions of labour within their work on climate adaptation and mitigation activities. 

Cecil Mukamanzi, the President of Terimberesake, expressed, "The Gender Action Learning System has empowered women to become agents of change. We are also pleased to witness positive transformations in men's behaviour, fostering social norm changes such as reduction in gender-based violence and active participation in the development of their own families at the household level."

In the second phase of the JP RWEE, agencies will intensify efforts to reinforce and expand the Gender Action Learning System model.