KAYANZA March 2nd (ABP) – 1,093 cases of violence against women were reported during the first half of 2018-2019 in Kayanza province (northern Burundi), while those made to men are calculated at 172, according to a report provided by the Family and Community Development Center (CDFC) in these days when the world is preparing for the celebration of the 8th March, dedicated to women every year. This year, it will be celebrated under the theme “Women at the center of innovative social protection programs”.
The same report shows that the most frequent cases of violence are mainly socio-economic and psychological. Based on the report, the coordinator of CDFC Kayanza, Ms. Florence Ndikumana, appealed to men to pull themselves together, stop bickering with their wives and no longer consider them third parties. She indicates that the cases of violence that were more noticeable than the others during the first half of the year 2018-2019 are socio-economic with 426 cases enumerated for women whereas the men who have suffered this kind of violence are evaluated at 71. There are 382 psychological cases of violence against women, while for men there are only 61 cases. The CDFC coordinator in Kayanza also talks about physical violence where 235 women were savagely beaten by their husbands, while men tortured by their wives are estimated at about 35. Ms. Ndikumana reports that even spousal killings have been reported in that province. She reports that six women have been killed by their husbands, while men killed by their wives because of poor ties are three. With regard to that situation, the coordinator of the CDFC Kayanza asks the spouses to always go about development works of their households and to collaborate well in all things.
Although she does not specify data from previous years, the coordinator of the CDFC Kayanza is pleased that cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) have significantly decreased, which, according to Ms. Ndikumana, is the result of sensitization carried out by administrative officials and the intervention of justice and those in charge of the order.