BUJUMBURA, April 15th (ABP) – The “Collectif des associations et ONG féminines du Burundi” (CAFOB), in collaboration with the “Concertation des collectifs des associations féminines de la région des Grands-Lacs” (COCAFEM/GL), organised a workshop on Tuesday 9 April 2024 to present the innovative good practice model of the ” Educating girls for a better future ” (EDUFAM) project.
CAFOB’s legal representative, Agathe Nsengiyumva, explained that the project was implemented in the Gasorwe commune of Muyinga province. Its main aim is to promote the education of girls and teenagers, with a view to empowering girls and women through education.
She pointed out that Muyinga province has the lowest school attendance rate in the country.
So, in schools, she said, education will not be improved because of a number of obstacles, including inequalities in schooling, discrimination, unwanted pregnancies and early marriages. Ideally, other strategies should be put in place to reduce barriers to education and build girls’ capacities so that education can be improved.
She added that CAFOB’s good practice in strengthening girls’ education would help communities to take ownership of EDUFAM’s achievements and make them sustainable.
Mrs Agathe asked local authorities and parents in particular to contribute to the fight against GBV and to the education of young girls.
In her presentation on the impact of cultural and gender norms on education, Josiane Karirengera said that in order to improve girls’ education, parents need to approach girls from an early age, as they are the ones facing the biggest problems compared to boys.
Discussions between parents and children on the behaviour to adopt also contribute to improving education.