Season 1: proof of concept
Rwanda 2024-2025
Six episodes of Twubakane, broadcast on RC Musanze, a regional radio in Rwanda. A first test of whether radio drama can shift the attitudes and behaviours that drive intimate partner violence.
40%
relative decline in violence reported by women, in a pilot study of 200 couples
The study was a pilot with limited statistical power. Results are suggestive, not definitive; our Season 2 RCT is designed to test these findings rigorously.
Storyline of Season 1
Twubakane (“Let's build together”) Season 1 is a radio drama that follows Kazimiri and Jeanine as they raise their family and navigate the challenges of making decisions together. With the support of friends and advisors, they explore themes such as communication, respect, equality, and how to respond to domestic violence.
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Explore Season 1:
Built on listener research
Season 1 followed our four-step cycle of formative research, iterative scriptwriting, evaluation, and broadcast.
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Two research steps directly shaped the Season 1 storylines:
Formative research
Interviews and focus groups identified the most promising mechanisms of change.
A/B testing
Three potential storylines were tested with focus groups to identify the strongest.
For the full methodology, see our approach →
What listeners say
Listeners from the Eastern Province, that were part of our small pilot study, share how Twubakane impacted their lives at home.
Key results from Season 1
Evaluated through a baseline-endline study with 200 couples* and qualitative interviews with 51 participants.​
1/ Reduced physical and sexual violence
A 6 percentage point (pp) reduction in prevalence — equal to a 40% relative decline in violence reported by women in the treatment group.*
2/ Increased gender equality
In interviews, most men reported having changed and sharing more decisions at home. The study showed a +15pp increase in women involvement in financial decisions regarding their spouse’s earnings.
“Before, she knew that even if we discussed something, I would make the final decision if we didn’t agree.” (male participant)​​
3 / Stronger relationships
Almost all participants in our qualitative interviews reported relationship improvements, especially better communication. The study found an increase in relationship quality, with improvements in empathy and honesty.
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“There are things we now discuss that we didn’t talk about before because we now make time to understand each other better.” (male participant)​​​​
4 / Increased willingness to seek help
The quantitative study found a 11pp drop in acceptance of wife-beating, and in interviews, most female participants reported increased willingness to seek help.​
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“Before, I thought if someone mistreated me, I would make a scene and run back to my family. But now, I feel motivated to handle it the way Jeanine did.” (female participant)​​​​
Post-broadcast we measured the reach through a listenership survey and estimate 30,000 listeners listened to Twubakane Season 1.
*Note that the study was designed as a pilot, with limited statistical power, thus results should be interpreted as suggestive of potential impact rather than definitive)
Explore the evidence
Quantitative results
A short summary of the baseline-endline study with the main findings.
Qualitative findings
Visual summary of what we heard from couples who listened to Twubakane.