The study on the issue of child abuse in Burundi has been validated

BUJUMBURA December 24^th (ABP) – The chairman of the Independent National Commission for Human Rights (CNIDH), Dr Sixte Vigny Nimuraba, on Thursday, December 23, 2021, opened a workshop to validate the study on the issue of child abuse in Burundi under the theme “Together, let’s advance human rights in Burundi”, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.

In his speech, the chair of the CNIDH indicated that the aim of that workshop was to provide the government and the various actors involved in the promotion and protection of children’s rights with an informative document on the state of play and the causes of child abuse in Burundi, and propose measures and strategies to be taken to fight against the phenomenon.

Regarding the provisional report of the study which was produced but as no document is perfect, Mr. Nimuraba specified that the CNIDH organized that meeting in order to enrich the document before validating it.

Before concluding his remarks, he praised the efforts of the participants for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

In his presentation, Dr. Renovate Irambona, who presented on the state of play of child abuse in Burundi, returned to the types of violence reported in the surveys. Those include physical and psychological violence, mistreatment related to food and not attending school.

To that end, she clarified that the factors that make children more vulnerable and exposed to various forms of violence include poverty in families, social conflicts and wars as well as cultural norms.

She did not forget to recall the factors that pushed children to live in the streets, including the loss of parents, abuse related to food, deprivation of care and physical and psychological violence.

The consequences of this child abuse in Burundi are manifested in bodily trauma, wandering, psychological disorders, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Therefore, she recalled the actions to be taken for the protection and promotion of the rights of the child in Burundi. There is a need for training on the role of parents, more programs aimed at preserving family unity and sensitizing the community on the prevention and consequences of mistreatment.