Burundi, one of the world's poorest nations, is still emerging from a long, ethnically motivated civil war. Following independence in 1961, it was riven by tension between the dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority. Ethnic violence in 1994 made Burundi the scene of one of Africa’s most intractable conflicts.

The country is now beginning to reap the dividends of a peace process. But it faces the difficult task of reviving a shattered economy, repairing communities, and forging national unity.

The Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu peoples have occupied Burundi since the country’s formation five centuries ago. Burundi was ruled as a kingdom by the Tutsi for over 200 years, but at the beginning of the 20th century, Germany and Belgium occupied the region, and Burundi and Rwanda became a European colony.

Political unrest regularly occurred because of social differences between the Tutsi and Hutu, provoking civil war in Burundi throughout the middle of the 20th century. Presently, Burundi is governed as a representative democratic republic, although the place and role of women are still contested.

The Arusha peace accords gave women a far from negligible place in public institutions (at least 30%), yet many women’s organisations are struggling to promote women’s rights. Also, certain cultural practices hold women back (e.g. dowry issues and unresolved problems connected with the right to property and inheritance). The YWCA realised that to build a democratic society in which girls and boys enjoy equal rights, children’s and young people’s education has to tackle gender issues.

It was against this background that during 2010 the Burundi YWCA in partnership with WACC sought to impact the country’s political elections by organising reflection days and training in four of the country’s sub-regions for women directors of civil society organisations and women’s groups. YWCA designed communication activities on the theme of women’s rights and targeting administrative leaders, NGOs, and women leaders.

YWCA publicised its concerns nationwide by producing a publicity piece aired in French and Kirundi on national television and a sketch written by young people, performed by national presenters and broadcast on four radio stations. The sketch was written by a group of young girl members of the YWCA with the support of the project’s coordinators. It was performed by presenters from Radio Télévision Nationale (RTNB) and broadcast on four radio stations. Its message encouraged women to take up leadership positions.

Media coverage of the training sessions was also carried out by RTNB. Working with this station enabled the project’s message to be heard throughout the country and in two languages (French and Kirundi). The aim was to communicate with viewers who were not able to take part in the different training sessions. The YWCA also produced 2,000 postcards for distribution to militant women in the different political parties, to organisations supporting women’s leadership, and to community leaders.

YWCA-Burundi believes the project represents a model that could be used in other regions of the country and that its impact was greatly enhanced through the cooperation of local administrative and religious authorities.

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