BUJUMBURA December 28th (ABP)-Cases of unwanted pregnancies are becoming increasingly worrying in schools of Rumonge (southern Burundi) and Gahombo in Kayanza province, despite efforts made by the Ministry in charge of education to fight against this phenomenon. This emerges from a study on “violence against girls in schools in Kayanza and Rumonge provinces”, under the “Bafashebige” Coalition monitoring and this study was validated on Thursday.
The results of that study conducted by Ms. Anatolie Singirankabo, an independent consultant, also reveal that the two provinces recorded a total of 367 cases of unwanted pregnancies in schools during that period.That study concerns girls aged 13 and over. According to that study, the Rumonge commune recorded 104 cases of unwanted pregnancies in schools during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years, while the schools in Gahombo commune registered 30 cases during the same period.
The study also deals with forms of violence against girls in school environments. These include rape, sexual harassment; touching; moral violence; verbal abuse; physical violence; blackmail, and the like.
Consultant Singirankabo regrets that educators are cited among the perpetrators of those cases of sexual violence when they should be preaching by a good example.
Other categories of people cited among the perpetrators of sexual violence in schools include students, traders; fishermen, motorcycle or bus drivers; hairdressers and security guards.
The study reveals, however, that in most cases, girls who are victims of such cases of violence refuse to denounce the perpetrators. For example, in Kayanza province, of the 153 cases registered, only 34 rape offenders, or 22%, were reported.
Poverty in households, impunity of the perpetrators; the wearing of mobile phones; social networks; low sexual education and low morality among some teachers, are some of the causes of violence against girls in schools revealed by this study.
The study in question was carried out with funding from the NGO ANCEFA, traditional partner of the Bafashebige Coalition “Education for All”.
