BUJUMBURA/BUBANZA March 22nd (ABP) – The women of Bujumbura province (western Burundi) and those of Bubanza province (north-western Burundi), gathered in different associations, met last Saturday to celebrate International Women’s Day, checks by ABP revealed.
In Bujumbura province, the ceremonies took place in Ruyaga, Kanyosha commune, and began with a parade of women from all the communes of that province.
The provincial director for family and social development, Mrs. Marcelline Ndabateyinzigo said in her speech that women farmers in that province face a great challenge. She cited the geographical configuration of the province with a relief that does not allow good cultivation, pointing out that when one cultivates from the bottom up, the disturbed earth is washed away by erosion into the swamps, into the rivers and into Lake Tanganyika.
Mrs. Ndabateyinzigo pleaded for those women who need close agricultural supervision from agricultural monitors and agronomists. The latter are necessary to teach them how to arrange the arable land, and how to draw the contour lines.
They also need selected seeds, chemical fertilizers, markets for agricultural products and production processing techniques.
That day was an opportunity to put away and resume between the former leader of the Provincial Women’s Forum and the new one, in this case, Mrs. Fidès Misigaro, who took advantage of that opportunity to present the women members of that Forum at the provincial level and at the communal level.
The new chairperson of the provincial women’s forum of Bujumbura called on the women of that province to break with drunkenness and to take care of the development of their homes, wishing that the latter be characterized by agreement. On her part, she promised them to be the torchbearer in development.
The governor of Bujumbura province, Mr. Désiré Nsengiyumva, indicated that this province has reached an important step in the placement of women in decision-making spheres, indicating that it has 3 women MPs out of 8, a spokesperson for the President of the Republic who is a native of Bujumbura, directors and general directors.
“You are endowed with intelligence like men, be leaders for those who have placed trust in you, campaign and deserve positions of responsibility”, he added, before urging those women to increase agricultural production, to protect the environment and to apply for loans from the recently opened women’s bank in Gitega (central Burundi). He ended his remarks by saying that he will spare no effort to support women’s projects.
In Bubanza province, the festivities marking the provincial celebration of International Women’s Day took place in the headquarters of Mpanda commune.
The governor of that province, Mr. Cléophas Nizigiyimana, said that this day came at a time when there is a clear improvement in the representation of women at the provincial level. By way of example, he said that among his five councilors is a woman, two of the five communal administrators are women, among the five MPs elected in the constituency of Bubanza is a woman, one of the two Senators is a woman and some of the village leaders are female.
Nevertheless, Governor Nizigiyimana regrets that there are still women and girls who misbehave such as those who indulge in concubine behavior, adultery and others, as well as the phenomenon of abused women and girls, still visible.
He warns local administrative officials who resort to amicable settlement in cases of gender-based violence, adding that they run penalties in accordance with the law. He invites women to organize themselves into self-development cooperatives and to draw up bankable projects to be submitted to the Women’s Bank.
The governor of Bubanza province also invites the men of that province to value their wives because, according to him, they remain major pillars of household development.
As for Mrs. Perpétue Bankwanze, new provincial representative of the Women’s Forum, she promises that the members of that forum will serve as good references in the establishment of fields of influence, for the increase of agricultural production.
Note that the festivities were marked by the parade of various women’s associations, and the presence of various authorities such as the Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media, a native of that province.