Burundi launches campaign against gender-based violence
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi on Monday launched a campaign against gender-based violence.
The 16-day campaign will be an opportunity to appeal to the conscience of all Burundians to get them more involved in the fight "against this phenomenon that undermines all humanity", the Minister of Human Rights, social affairs and gender, Martin Nivyabandi, said in a statement.
The theme of the campaign also calls for synergy in the work of various partners to build a radiant Burundi, he said.
The Minister noted that the this year's campaign comes at a time when the Government of Burundi continues to strengthen its interventions in the fight against violence against women, through the promotion of its empowerment, which is one of the effective prevention measures against the scourge.
Among the activities planned is the extension of the specific law on prevention, protection of victims and repression of gender-based violence.
In the criminal sense, the 2016 law defines gender-based violence as "any act of violence directed against a person, because of his or her gender and causing or can cause physical, sexual, economic, psychological suffering or including the threat of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in public life or in private life".
Among the most ancient violence, the law cites that of "Gukanda" (massage), a form of marital rape tolerated by culture, when a man forces his wife to have intimate relations with him after childbirth, before she is restored.
There is also the "levirate", which is a custom of forcing a widow to marry her brother-in-law or stepfather.
There is also this unimaginable practice of "cooking a stone" (Guteka ibuye rigasha), which involves forcing one's wife or daughter to have sex with a traditional healer so that a prescribed remedy has the desired effect.
The other retrograde customary practice of "Gukazanura" recognises a man's right to have sex with his daughter-in-law on the day of his son's wedding.
-0- PANA FB/JSG/BBA/MA 25Nov2019