Gender, Conflict and Poverty Analysis in Burundi

The case study discusses Burundian women awareness and questions the role of ICTs in empowering women. The study states that like in many countries on the continent, some of the indigenous social systems entrenched gender inequality. In Burundi, this inequality dates far back to the colonial era, where, adult women were legitimate urban dwellers only if they were wives, widows, or elderly. Otherwise, they were presumed to be femmes libres (free women) and were taxed as income earning prostitutes.

"Although women now enjoy some legal rights (the right to own property and the right to participate in economic and political sectors) custom and men chauvinism and persistent conflict still limit their freedom and participation opportunities.

The girl child has not enjoyed the full benefit of education. School enrolment is low for girls and access to education is still in favour of boys. Therefore literacy among women is lower (36 % compared to that of men at 51%). Opportunities for wage labour and professional positions have remained rare and as a consequence, fewer women have had gainful employment. Consequently women have been exploited through provision of cheap unskilled labour, where for instance in mining areas, pounding of minerals or to extract precious minerals is the work of women and their pay is the residue ashes.

Frequent rebel attacks in many areas disrupted economic activities. Livestock has been often stolen thus impoverishing the communities further as their means of livelihood are taken away. Theft related to insecurity and movements of people were cited as some of the drawbacks to development and livelihood activities. The insecurity situation is also aggravated by the movement and presence of small arms, engagement of children in armed conflict and violation of human rights.

Women have been affected by war and conflict through displacements and their rights have been abused e.g. rape reported in conflict ridden areas and the biggest percentage of people in camps are women, who also suffer sex abuses of all sorts from within the congested establishments. Furthermore, as husbands join armed conflict or die during war, women have been left with the burden of fending for the families in many cases even where men are present, thus reversing the true sense of women headed households.

The rural women find fewer surviving strategies available. Saddled with household duties, they have seen their poverty situation worsen. Previously dependent on agriculture, this has proved difficult due to the prevailing insecurity, and has exposed the women and children to serious food shortages at family level and increased malnutrition among children.

Among the serious issues facing the children are lack of health care, recruitment by the armed groups, food insecurity, sexual exploitation and separation from and loss of family due to conflict. The coping mechanisms for the children are begging along the streets and enrolment into the military or rebel ranks. The practice of begging has been condemned by the Government to the protest of some NGOs and UNICEF since no proper or alternative infrastructure has been put in place to safeguard these children."