BUJUMBURA, March 12th (ABP) – International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate, self-assess, and assess the progress made in all sectors of the country’s life, said the representative of FVS-Amies des enfants, Mrs. Spès Nihangaza, told a check by ABP on Friday, March 7, 2025 during an interview.
As a female leader working to promote women’s rights, Mrs. Nihangaza said that March 8 provides an opportunity for Burundian women and women around the world to assess their educational status and assess the completion rate for secondary school, the first and second university levels for girls and women because, according to her, education is the foundation of all human development. According to her, a woman who has not attended school finds it difficult to take care of her family’s health.
March 8th, she continued to say, is also a good opportunity for women to conduct an economic self-assessment to see if women have made progress in terms of average income. It is also an opportunity to analyze the progress made in respecting women’s rights to see if the number of cases of gender-based violence has decreased, Mrs. Nihangaza emphasized.
The representative of FVS-Amies des enfants noted that the country’s development must take both men and women into account, pointing out that men cannot develop alone.
Mrs. Nihangaza took the opportunity to advocate for the implementation of mandatory schooling for girls so that they can have the same opportunities as boys in school. She also calls for the minimum age of marriage for girls to be raised to 21, so that future mothers are physiologically mature, but also able to assume household responsibilities. This also allows girls to complete at least secondary school.
For girls who want to marry at a younger age, she emphasized that even though marriage is a means of social advancement, girls should not view it as an end in itself. They should not be seen as a burden, but as a partner. Mrs. Nihangaza advises girls to complete their studies and integrate the professional world before thinking about marriage.
She also calls for educators to welcome young girls properly and provide them with everything necessary to help them complete their studies properly, so that they do not drop out of school, given that the gender gap in education is still visible. Parents should be encouraged to educate girls by increasing their self-esteem, preparing them to assume responsibilities just like boys, because the country needs many women leaders.
According to Mrs. Nihangaza, the role of churches is essential in promoting women’s rights. To that end, she called on churches to encourage girls to pursue a long education, which will allow them to participate in decision-making bodies and assume responsibilities in households, while respecting the Word of God.