Burundi on Monday joined the rest of the world in marking International Women’s Day, with government officials, human rights institutions and civil society organizations reflecting on the progress made in women’s rights while urging stronger action to address persistent challenges.
National celebrations were held in the political capital, Gitega. Senior government leaders attended the ceremonies, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Vice-President Prosper Bazombanza, Prime Minister Nestor Ntahontuye, and Senate President Gervais Ndirakobuca.
The national theme echoed the global call for action on women’s rights, highlighting the role women play in promoting justice and inclusive governance in Burundi.
Ahead of the celebrations, Burundi’s national human rights commission (CNIDH), released a statement recognizing legal and institutional steps taken to advance women’s rights in the country.
The declaration, signed by CNIDH Deputy Chairperson Gérard Rugemintwaza, said Burundi has strengthened its legal framework by ratifying several international conventions that promote gender equality and protect women from discrimination and abuse.
The commission noted that the 2018 Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and requires that women hold at least 30 percent of positions in key state institutions such as parliament, the government and local administrations.
According to the CNIDH, women currently occupy nearly half of the seats in the Senate and more than a third of those in the National Assembly. However, the commission pointed out that women remain underrepresented in some leadership positions, including the cabinet and provincial governorships, where the constitutional quota has yet to be fully met.
The commission also praised the adoption of a 2016 law aimed at preventing and punishing gender-based violence, which established specialized judicial mechanisms to prosecute offenders and improve support for victims.
Ongoing challenges
Despite these advances, CNIDH said many women in Burundi continue to face serious challenges.
Women make up more than half of the country’s population, according to the National Institute of Statistics, yet their representation in decision-making roles does not fully reflect that reality.
The commission also warned that gender-based violence remains a concern in several communities. Cases of physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse continue to be reported, often involving intimate partners, family members or authority figures.
“In some areas, the commission observes that the phenomenon of gender-based violence remains persistent, including physical, sexual, psychological, social and economic violence, due to moral erosion, the effects of civil war, promiscuity and practices linked to witchcraft, ” said Rugemintwaza.
Another challenge, the commission said, is that many perpetrators convicted of gender-based violence lack the financial means to compensate their victims, leaving survivors without adequate restitution.
Civil society raises concerns about migrant workers
Civil society groups used the occasion to highlight risks faced by Burundian women seeking employment abroad.
In a press release , the National Observatory for the Fight Against Transnational Crime ONLCT – Où est ton frère? said more than 20,000 Burundian women and girls have travelled to Saudi Arabia for domestic work since the government began authorizing legal recruitment in March 2023.
While acknowledging government efforts to regulate labor migration, the organization warned that some migrant workers still face serious abuses, including confiscation of identity documents, long working hours, unpaid or very low wages, physical violence and sexual abuse.
ONLCT president Prime Mbarubukeye called for stronger monitoring of recruitment agencies and public awareness campaigns to prevent fraudulent online job offers targeting young women.
Opposition calls for freedom and safety
Meanwhile, the opposition party Sahwanya FRODEBU used the day to call on authorities to take additional steps to protect women’s rights.
In a statement, Patrick Nkurunziza, the party’s chairman, urged the government to release women he says are unjustly detained in the country’s prisons and to facilitate the safe return of Burundian women who remain refugees abroad.
The party also called for a collective commitment to ensure that all Burundian women can live with dignity, security and freedom.
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