R-E-S-P-E-C-T: WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN

UNCLAS BUJUMBURA 000112 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN BY SUBJECT: R-E-S-P-E-C-T: WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGING, BUT DON'T MISTAKE IT FOR EQUALITY REF: 09 BUJUMBURA 387 ¶1. SUMMARY: The government of Burundi conscientiously seeks to meet the quota for women in national and provincial governmental positions, in some cases even exceeding the constitutional requirements. These female politicians face additional challenges that their male counterparts escape, including societal constraints and educational inequalities. Despite the existence of women in political positions at all levels of government, the average Burundian woman still struggles for equality or even decent treatment. Burundi has some distance still to travel before women can truly be said to have equal rights. However, the concerted effort to promote women in the public sphere is an excellent step in the right direction. The Embassy supports a number of programs to strengthen Burundian women's political participation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. NATIONAL LEVEL: At the national level the government conscientiously applies constitutional quotas for women and even goes beyond in application, appointing women to high level positions, particularly in the judicial system. The constitution reserves 30 percent of National Assembly, Senate, aQministerial positions for women. In December 2009, there were 36 women in the 118-seat National Assembly and 16 women in the 49-seat Senate. Women held seven of 24 ministerial seats. In addition, there were seven women on the 18-seat Supreme Court, including the chief justice, and two women on the seven-seat Constitutional Court, including the chief justice and deputy chief justice. ¶3. PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL: According to research reported by the Association of Women Lawyers in Burundi, 17.6% of the 17 governors of provinces are women, but women make up only 5.8% of principal advisors to governors. Similarly, 10.21% of the 129 communal administrators are women (comparable to being a small-town mayor in the U.S.),but only 2.3% of the communal council presidents are women (comparable to being a city council chairperson). Both council presidents and communal administrators are elected by communal councils but the administrator position has more authority. Experts could not explain why the councils elect significantly more women to the administrator role than to the council president role. ¶4. Though women are in these governmental positions, they are not perceived as advocates for women's rights. According to Mireille Niyonzima of the Association for the Defense of Women's Rights (known by its French Qonym ADDF),female politicians are placed in their elected positions by their male-led parties to meet quotas. (Note: In Burundi's parliamentary system, voters vote for parties, not specific candidates. The parties elected then fill the seats they won using pre-established lists.) Therefore, these elected women feel constrained by and beholden to their party leadership. The women feel they cannot push an agenda contradictory to their party's priorities and; not surprisingly, no major party is prioritizing controversial issues like women's inheritance rights. Mireille also stated that Burundian women take into greater consideration the potential negative effects of political life on families, in thinking about both the day-to-day sacrifices as well as the very real mortal risk in Burundi to opposition party member's lives. ¶5. Minister of Communications Venerand Bakevyumusaya suggested to PolOff that professional women opt out of political life because the continuing cultural expectation of a woman's responsibilities in the home is incompatible with the sacrifices politics require. He also observed that women lack the education and work experience of their male counterparts, hampering their willingness and their ability to run for public office, as well as their effectiveness when serving in the government. ¶6. To strengthen Burundian women's political participation, the Embassy supports a variety of programs. For example, USAID funded a Women in Leadership program implemented by Chemonics, which financed the participation of women lawyers, parliamentarians, and ministers in international conferences; organized in-country training for women in grassroots organizations to enhance their participation in political processes; and hosted workshops in Burundi for female lawyers, parliamentarians, and leaders of civil society organizations to strengthen conflict resolution skills and encourage the fight against corruption. In partnership with the NGO IFES, Chemonics is also implementing USAID funding to train potential women candidates in the 2010 elections: supporting women's participation, strengthening their competitiveness, improving their ability to communicate to the public, and encouraging the women to lobby their parties for placement at the top of their party lists. Post also sent a female NGO leader to participate in the 2009 IVLP on citizen participation in democracy. ¶7. In addition, through USAID's Economic Growth Programs and the Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program, the embassy funds programs that encourage women's participation and leadership in local business and farmer associations. While these efforts are not directly targeted at increasing women's participation in politics, they do empower women at the grassroots level, thus increasing the likelihood of their participation in politics, particularly at the local level. ¶8. COMMENT: Fulfilling quotas and promoting women in ministries and the judicial system certainly reflects progress for Burundian women, but the government and political parties need to take the next step of translating support in the public sphere to supporting women's rights at all levels and at all times. Women are caught in a vicious cycle - poor education has hindered their aQancement toward equal rights and that lack of advancement and empowerment has also limited women's ability to call for improved access to education. Burundian women continue to face widespread gender-based violence (reftel),discriminatory inheritance laws, and general disenfranchisement. USG assistance helps empower Burundian women and combat their disenfranchisement, but women politicians, and Burundi's leaders in general, need to be the strong advocates for women's rights, beyond just a fulfillment of constitutional quotas. END COMMENT. Slutz