SOS Médias Burundi

Mwaro, July 5, 2025 – Gender-based violence continues to ravage Burundian homes in a heavy silence. In Mwaro province – now part of the current Gitega province under the new administrative division – more than 140 cases have been recorded in just six months, mainly economic violence, which is often trivialized. This phenomenon reflects a broader crisis on a national scale.

The provincial directorate of family and social development (DPDFS) in Mwaro has sounded the alarm. Between January and June 2025, more than 140 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were recorded in this province in central Burundi. Economic violence largely dominates these statistics, ahead of psychological, physical, and sexual violence.

Silent and trivial violence

According to Mélance Nkurunziza, head of the DPDFS in Mwaro, this economic violence is rooted in marital disagreements related to the management of family assets.
« In some households, women are deliberately excluded from economic decisions or deprived of access to household resources. This is a serious form of violence, but too often socially tolerated, » he warns.

Physical, psychological, and sexual violence are also reported, but remain underreported. Victims often fear reprisals, social rejection, or are unaware of the structures that can support them. According to civil society actors, the persistence of patriarchal mentalities, the lack of information about victims’ rights, and the absence of effective mediation mechanisms fuel the phenomenon.

Impunity and corruption

Beyond cultural causes, impunity remains a key factor.
« Some complaints are suppressed or dismissed, sometimes due to corruption in local justice services. This discourages other victims from filing complaints and reinforces the cycle of violence, » confides a community activist from Mwaro.

Provincial authorities are calling on victims to break their silence and contact existing mechanisms, including the police, courts, counseling centers, and non-governmental organizations.

An alarming national trend

The cases in Mwaro are part of a worrying national trend. Women’s rights organizations, including the Association of Women Lawyers of Burundi (AFJB) and several community leaders, denounce the authorities’ inaction and a situation that remains largely unaddressed in the country.

« Too many women live in fear and lack access to justice. We need a responsive judicial system free from corruption to end this violence, » pleaded an AFJB official, contacted by SOS Médias Burundi.

According to these organizations, the phenomenon is national and extends well beyond Mwaro province. Economic violence, exclusion, and physical and psychological attacks are undermining Burundian households in all regions.

A call for collective mobilization

The associations and civil society actors recommend, in particular :

Capacity building for judges, police officers, and social workers.

The creation of accessible listening units in each district.

Massive awareness-raising in communities to deconstruct patriarchal norms.

Systematic legal and psychological support for victims.

Mwaro province, like other regions of the country, is facing a real social emergency. Local authorities and civil society organizations agree on the need for a coordinated, courageous, and inclusive response.

« Beyond the numbers, these are shattered lives, destabilized families, and an entire society that is suffering. » « It is time for the fight against gender-based violence to become a national priority, » concludes a local women’s rights activist.