Burundi govt regards rural women's access to sustainable infrastructure, social protection services as top priority
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi on Tuesday celebrated the International Rural Women's Day on a formal commitment to "support access to sustainable infrastructure and social protection services" in a country where 97.4% of this social category work "bare hands" in the agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 50% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 95% of foreign exchange and 95% of the national food supply, according to official figures.
In a statement, the Minister for Gender, Martin Nivyabandi, said that the purpose of such a Day is to "highlight, at least once a year, the fundamental role of rural women in the Burundian society".
It is also "an opportunity to evaluate the step already taken in promoting the rights of rural women, to identify existing opportunities, as well as the challenges that hinder the full development of rural women in their daily lives".
For Minister Nivyabandi, this theme invites us to "reflect on innovative ways to advance gender equality and women's empowerment, particularly in the areas of social protection, access to public services and construction of sustainable infrastructure".
With regard to the current situation in the rural world, Mr Nivyabandi noted "significant progress", notably the implementation of the cash transfer program for the most vulnerable households and rural women, the introduction of the national day of local solidarity, the improvement of the health services or the education of the mother and the child".
Other advances include "quality education for all, sustainable community infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, markets, as well as public water fountains that contribute to improving women's access to safe and sustainable basic services".
Regardless of gender-based disparities, data from the World Bank (WB) rank Burundi among the poorest countries in Africa, with a poverty rate of 74.7% that mainly affects households in rural areas where more than 95% of the 11 million inhabitants live.
With 470 inhabitants per km², it is also the second most densely populated country in Africa, after Mauritius (665 inhabitants per km2).
On the other hand, access to water and sanitation is considered "very low", as are less than 5% of the Burundian population who access electricity (52.1% of urban households and 2% of rural households).
The weakness of the rural economy, its heavy reliance on international development assistance and the misallocation of wealth are other obstacles to poverty reduction in Burundi.
-0- PANA FB/IS/KND/VAO 15Oct2019
