When Angelique Ingabire’s cries for help went unheard at home, she turned to her church in the Maranyundo neighbourhood of Nyamata Sector, in Bugesera District. The mother of four told The New Times that she did not know where else to go.

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She recalled: "I felt invisible at home, like no one cared about my suffering. It was only at my church that I finally felt heard and supported.

"The abuse at home left me scared and alone. Turning to my church gave me hope and a safe place to share my pain.”

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More than one in three Rwandan women face physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, but many suffer in silence. Faith-based leaders, trusted and influential, are uniquely positioned to change that, activists say, noting that faith-based organisations can be influential in addressing social issues such as gender-based violence (GBV).

According to the 2019/20 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, 37 percent of girls and women in the country aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical, sexual, or psychological violence. The country has 48 Isange One Stop Centres that provide medical, legal, and psychosocial support to survivors. Still, many women stay quiet or face stigma, a gap that religious leaders, respected and trusted in their communities, can help close.

Olivia Kabatesi, a gender-based violence activist, emphasized that religious leaders hold significant influence within their communities, as their followers often trust them more than government institutions or partner organizations. This trust positions them to effectively shape how people think, behave, and respond to issues of violence.

According to Kabatesi, churches and other faith institutions should intentionally design programmes that address gender-based violence prevention and response.

She said: "They are the right people to raise awareness on gender-based violence prevention and to support victims after abuse.”

Jean Marie Vianney Gatete, the Executive Director of Rwanda Interfaith Council on Health (RICH), said religious leaders often learn about gender-based violence before cases reach formal institutions. RICH is an interfaith organisation that brings together the Catholic Church, the Muslim Community in Rwanda, the Anglican Church, the Protestant Council, the Alliance Churches, and the Newborn Churches. Its work centres on health promotion, including efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

Gatete said the organisation focuses on training religious leaders from various denominations, on gender-based violence, gender equity and inclusion, as well as child and human rights. The organisation also guides leaders on how to respond when violence occurs within families or communities.

"Religious leaders are trusted and, in many cases, the first people approached when problems arise in households. Our trainings teach them to recognize different forms of abuse, including physical, moral, and domestic violence, and how to report cases and connect survivors to the right authorities,” Gatete said.

Gatete said his organisation collaborates with Isange One Stop Centres, which provide medical, legal, and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence. Religious leaders are encouraged to refer cases to the centres, while RICH focuses on raising awareness and connecting communities to the services. RICH has implemented its gender-based violence programme for about seven years, training religious leaders in all 30 districts.

The organisation does not keep records of cases, as that is handled by the relevant authorities, but Gatete noted that more people are reporting incidents, showing that awareness in communities is improving.

When cases are reported, he said, it implies people know that a support system exists. Alcohol abuse is the main cause of domestic violence, he added, and teenage pregnancies are often linked to gender-based violence. According to him, communities still need more awareness, as alcohol-related violence continues to affect many families.

Chrispine Katiyi Banda, a preacher at New Life Bible Church in Kicukiro, said the church does not run a stand-alone programme on gender-based violence but addresses the issue through ministries and teachings that reduce vulnerability within families and congregations.

"At New Life, we may not have specific programmes labelled as gender-based violence interventions, but we have ministries that address the causes.”

The women’s empowerment ministry and the women’s centre at the church are the main platforms that support women to become economically and socially independent.

"One of the reasons gender-based violence happens is vulnerability. When women have no means and no support, people take advantage of them. Empowerment helps women to stand on their own,” he stated.

Banda said church teachings affect how people behave at home, and he added that sermons on love, faithfulness, and respect help prevent abuse in families.

Counselling is another way the church responds when members experience abuse. According to Banda, counselling sessions differ and require careful listening rather than fixed solutions. The pastor noted that addressing gender-based violence requires first understanding what triggers it, and that counselling must also challenge cultural attitudes that see women as weak or inferior, a mindset which frequently contributes to abuse.

On dealing with perpetrators within the congregation, Banda noted that remorse alone cannot end abuse.

"Acknowledging the harm is the first step, and behaviour must change. Without that, repentance is just words and does not solve the problem for the victim.”

Kabatesi pointed to premarital counselling as an opportunity to include gender-based violence prevention. She said couples preparing for marriage already receive guidance on family life and faith, but these sessions ignore issues of power, violence, and accountability.

She said: "Why not include content on GBV prevention? Teach couples how to avoid violence in their relationship and how to raise children who do not become perpetrators.”

‘Churches should be the first safe space’

Religious leaders should educate congregations on the different forms of gender-based violence, how violence occurs, and its impact on victims, families, and communities, she said.

The activist noted that when people understand gender-based violence as a concept and its forms, they can pass that message on to others. She criticised practices that stigmatise victims in cases of sexual abuse, noting that girls who get pregnant after abuse are sometimes excluded from church yet this is the time when victims need the church the most, both for emotional and spiritual support, particularly if their families rejected them.

In her view, churches should create programmes that welcome gender-based violence survivors and provide counselling and basic support, rather than judging or isolating them.

"The church should be a place of refuge. Many women leave abusive partners and have nowhere safe to go. Seeking shelter elsewhere can sometimes put survivors at greater risk, as temporary arrangements may lead to further abuse. Churches should be the first safe space for anyone escaping violence.

Places of worship or faith-based organisations should offer counselling, shelter, and support while engaging families to ensure survivors return to their communities safely, Kabatesi explained. She called on churches to allocate resources to survivor support, noting that they collect tithes and offerings and already support the poor, but should give more targeted assistance.

Kabatesi said victims of gender-based violence face both abuse and poverty, with many trapped in dependence on their perpetrators. She noted that financial support can help them leave harmful situations and rebuild their lives when combined with assistance from government institutions and local partners.

"When victims are not believed, they stay silent and stop reporting, fearing that no one will trust them. They need psychosocial and spiritual support to help them regain confidence and speak out.”

Kabatesi called on religious leaders to treat each case individually and to separate abuse from sin, stressing that a child who has been sexually abused is not to blame.

"Churches should stop generalising and focus on listening to survivors of GBV.”