The Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, in collaboration with UN-WOMEN, organized from 23 to 24 February 2022 in Gitega, a national consultation meeting in preparation for the 66th session on the status of women, which will take place from 14 to 25 March 2022 in New York. The theme of this session will be “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in climate change, environment, and disaster risk reduction policies and programs.”

In his opening speech at the meeting, the Inspector General at the Ministry in charge of gender Célestin Sindibutume said that in several societies, women are the pillars of the family and the work she does puts her in direct relationship with nature.

When the climate is normal, she succeeds because if she gets an abundant harvest, the whole family benefits, explained the inspector general at the ministry in charge of national solidarity and gender. And if not, it is she who is experiencing difficulties in the first place, he added.
Célestin Sindibuume said that the work of the 66th session on the status of women will take place at a time when Burundi is heavily affected by disasters, floods, landslides, soil erosion, drought, and epidemic diseases, such as malaria and COVID-19. He pointed out that these disasters cause enormous economic losses and cause recurrent displacements of populations made up mostly of women.

The Inspector General at the Ministry in charge of Gender explained that the livelihoods of households, which depend on agriculture, which employs more than 87% of the Burundian population, are being weakened or lost, which further increases the vulnerability of these populations. He also said that the lack of economic opportunities for rural women and girls, in this case access to land and sources of finance, accentuates their poverty and confine them to traditional subsistence agriculture, which is poorly performing and with no control over agricultural incomes.

Célestin Sindibuume reiterated his thanks to the United Nations System, which established the Commission on the Status of Women, allowing countries to program and periodically assess progress, challenges and opportunities in the promotion of gender equality.

According to Willy Ndayishimiye who represented UN-WOMEN, the holding of the national consultation meeting will allow for substantive discussions on the priority theme. He said that this national consultation will provide a framework for exchanges and discussions between various stakeholders, including the Government, Civil Society Organizations, the private sector, rural women and girls, rural women and girls, agencies of the United Nations system, etc.