With its 53 women MPs, Burundi is one of the few countries to have surpassed the 30 per cent target of women in parliament. The majority of those women have been recently elected to office and therefore have to face often delicate and difficult situations in a country undertaking reconstruction and peace building efforts.
In partnership with the two chambers of the Parliament of Burundi, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is conducting a project to support women parliamentarians in that country. Financed by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) for a two-year period, the Project aims to build the capacity and strengthen the action of women MPs. The Project was launched on 18 June at the seat of the National Assembly in Bujumbura with a three-day seminar on Parliament and Gender Parity.
On that occasion, Burundian parliamentarians were able to discuss their role and the function of parliament with their counterparts from Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Spain. A special focus was placed on the particular challenges facing women in Burundi.
The discussions highlighted the central role parliament plays in peace building and the procedures, ways and means and resources needed to carry out its legislative and oversight functions. With regard to the budget, it was concluded that there was a need to incorporate a gender perspective in the budget and build parliamentary capacity in that area. As for parliamentary action to support women in Burundi, following a presentation of the national gender policy, the ensuing discussion focused on legislative priorities that needed to be implemented, including laws governing inheritance, marriage settlements and liberalities, as well as violence against women.
On 20 June, the women MPs met in camera to discuss the specific difficulties and challenges facing them. The major themes discussed at that event were partnership, solidarity and coordination among women legislators and the burning question that remained was: How to work together as women MPs above and beyond party politics? The experience of women's associations in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda provided much food for thought.
