The non-governmental organization, Iprosarude (Initiative pour la Promotion de la Santé Rurale et le Développement), launched the 2020 edition of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign for the fight against gender-based violence in Burundi on November 25, 2020 in Muhanga, Kayanza province.
This campaign began with a women’s soccer match on the field of Muhanga, in Kayanza province. The objective is to prove that women and girls are also capable of performing the same activities as men if we really consider their values. The girls players come from health clubs supervised by Iprosarude within the framework of the joint Menyumenyeshe program in partnership with Care Burundi.
This was a well-chosen launch activity because Burundian customs and culture have long considered soccer as a men’s sport, meaning that girls would lose their virginity if they played this sport. This is false and an injustice to girls who are passionate about soccer. “These 16 days of activism against gender-based violence are an opportunity to break down social constructions that are not right. Said Monsignor André Florian Ndabarushimana, Provincial Coach of the joint program Menyumenyeshe / school component in Kayanza. “This edition of this campaign is an invitation to a large-scale mobilization to put an end to violence against women and girls. Bishop Florian added.
At the official launch, Claudine Mufafara, head of the Menyumenyeshe Project for Iprosarude, stressed that this campaign is “an opportunity to bring every social stratum, every individual to become aware of the extent of violence against women and to reduce gender-based violence”. She added: “Within the framework of the joint program, the focus is on sexual and reproductive health among young people aged 10 to 24. Young people also receive reliable information related to sexual and gender-based violence. This is why, during these 16 days of activism against violence for women and girls, young people will take the lead in all the activities that Iprosarude has planned”.
Violence against women and girls imposes exorbitant costs on families, communities and economies. (…) Violence against women also leads to a loss of productivity in businesses and strains the resources of social services, the justice system and health care organizations, hence Iprosarude, being an organization that advocates for good health and development for all, cannot turn a blind eye to GBV (Gender-Based Violence).
The campaign begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on December 10, which is Human Rights Day each year.
The program includes women’s soccer matches in Iprosarude’s intervention zones as part of the joint Menyumenyeshye program, public awareness sessions on sexual and gender-based violence, radio awareness sessions (community radios), and promotion of girls’ education in the fight against violence in schools and sensitization sessions on sexual abuse
It should be recalled that it was on December 17, 1999, that the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Since then, the UN has invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities on this day to raise public awareness of this scourge. E.Allickan Niragira
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