Outcome BDI_D_1.1

By 2027, more Burundians, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from a strengthened governance system and a more diversified and inclusive economy, including through regional integration

Advancing Women’s Rights and Governance Reform: UN Women continued its strategic advocacy and technical support to the government, focusing on legislative reforms and the promotion of women’s leadership in governance . In 2024, the organization worked closely with 15 ministries and 85 women’s organizations, including humanitarian bodies, to enhance their understanding of the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA). This approach has been instrumental in ensuring that gender equality is integrated into governance structures and public policy. As a concrete outcome, the trained targeted group is involved in the revisision of ,the family code and electoral code which started to be revised last in 2024 and still ongoing. One of the key initiatives was the Regional Women's Forum in Bujumbura, held in August 2024, which brought together over 50 women’s organizations and government representatives from Burundi and the wider Great Lakes region. The forum, which was organized under the patronage of the Head of State, addressed the impact of conflict on women and highlighted the need to amplify women’s voices in regional peace, security, and economic cooperation, aligning with the recommendations from the 11th Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) Summit. Among key recommandations : 3. The Forum regretted the prevailing situation in eastern DRC, particularly in IDP camps and mining areas as well as the cases of violence against women and girls including those of digital forms and emphasised the need to end the violence by adopting the principle of zero tolerance in line with the 2011 ICGLR Kampala Declaration on Gender-Based Violence. 4. The Forum called on ICGLR Member States to support the establishment of the Secretariat of the Regional Women's Forum (RWF) and to allocate an adequate budget for the effective implementation of its Strategic Plan 2023-2027. 5. The Forum welcomed the recommendations of the expert meeting on conflict analysis organized by UN Women, including the proposal to formulate a flagship programme for the DRC and the region under the coordination of UN Women in partnership with other entities. 6. In view of the urgency of the situation, the Forum recommended the urgent development of a common agenda to be discussed at the next women's meeting in Luanda to be organized by the Office of the AU Special Envoy for WPS in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Angola. This agenda will also be presented at the 12th Summit of the Framework Agreement for the DRC and the region. 7. The Forum appreciated the presence of the First Lady of the Republic of Burundi, H.E. Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha, and encouraged the First Ladies of the ICGLR Member States and women in positions of influence, including members of the African Women Leaders Network and FemWise Africa, to continue advocating with regional leaders for increased support for the effective implementation of the Kampala Declaration on GBV. 8. The Forum proposed the appointment of a Goodwill Ambassador to champion and support the WPS agenda in the region with a view to making women's voices heard in a timely manner. Strengthening Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda: UN Women continued to support the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in line with UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 2250. Significant progress was made with the over 15,000 women mediators with representation from across the country. The mediators at the hill level are selected with a minimum of five per hill.Burundi has 392 hills. Most of them integrate after receiving support from the female mediators to address cases of violence against women and girls (physical, financial, emotional, sexual). Indeed, they testify and provide a model of social behavior . 534 mediators (4 per communes and one provincial focal point: 116 communes and 13 zones in town which is in total 516 mediators and 18 Provincial Focal Points mediators), 14485 mediators at basic level called «Noyau de base collinaire» (NBC) at the rate of 5 NBC or mediators per hill or district for 2800 hills and 97 districts which total is 15,019 mediators il the hall country. Their specific roles in peacebuilding efforts are especially preventing conflicts through community dialogues and resolve conflicts through mediation The Government, especially at the local level, is now using the women mediators to foster peace, security and development is Burundi in line with the country’s peace capitalization process. Through the successful localization of UN SCR 1325, the role of women in Peace, Security and Development architecture is valued by the government, due to the over 782 conflicts that have been resolved at the community level and the social cohesion that is manifesting amongst the different ethnic groups. In addition, local women’s organizations were empowered through a range of initiatives that focused on non-violent communication, leadership, and conflict resolution. Notably, 240 young people (particularly young women) were trained on peacebuilding, electoral conflict prevention, and combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Additionally, 840 Femmes lumières (women of light) who were trained are now community leaders and advocates, well equipped to advance the WPS agenda in their respective regions. Enhancing Coordination and Gender Integration: UN Women played a critical role in national coordination mechanisms, contributing to the integration of gender considerations in key development and humanitarian frameworks. In collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, UN Women co-led the revitalization of the Gender Sector Group (GSG), and issued recommendations to address violence against women, reform laws, and improve women’s participation in decision-making. Additionally, UN Women led efforts for key actors in the Inter Sectoral Group, focusing on the inclusion of gender-sensitive frameworks within the Ministry of Finance to better incorporate gender perspectives into budgeting and resource allocation. Furthermore, UN Women facilitated the development of gender-sensitive indicators through the Gender Thematic Group, which were integrated into the UN system’s evaluations and programming. Building Capacity for Gender-Sensitive Results: UN Women’s efforts in 2024 also focused on enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders to monitor and evaluate gender-sensitive outcomes. In partnership with GISE ( Groupe Inter Secteur Suivi-Evaluation), UN Women promoted the inclusion of gender considerations in sectoral evaluations and financing models. This initiative increased awareness among stakeholders of the importance of gender-based financing and outcomes, encouraging agencies to integrate gender-responsive approaches into their evaluations and interventions. After a session with the Gender thematic group and the UN inter sectoral group on monitoring and evaluation, the RCO took a commitment to review the UNSDCF and include activities rated with a 2 as gender marker In 2024, UN Women’s interventions significantly contributed to strengthening governance structures, advancing women’s participation in decision-making, and supporting the development of a more inclusive and diversified economy. Despite the progress, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring that gender equality is fully integrated into national frameworks and that women’s participation in political and economic spheres is sustained. Looking forward, UN Women will continue to advocate for the inclusion of gender-responsive measures in the ongoing constitutional code review process , ensuring that women’s voices are represented in governance reforms. Efforts will also focus on enhancing the capacities of women-led organizations and government sectors, strengthening regional integration processes, and ensuring that the outcomes achieved in 2024 lead to sustainable change by 2027.

By 2027, more Burundians, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from a strengthened governance system and a more diversified and inclusive economy, including through regional integration

In 2025, Burundi achieved a transformative strategic outcome by successfully transitioning from localized gender interventions to an institutionalized, policy-driven governance model. This shift was anchored in the technical finalization and the adoption of the National Gender Policy (2026- 2040), which effectively embedded gender-responsive macro-economic frameworks, rights-based education, and inclusive health indicators into the state’s long-term development architecture. By bridging the gap between the 2024 legislative reforms and executive implementation, this policy framework established gender equality as a non-negotiable prerequisite for national planning and resource allocation, ensuring that the rights of women and girls are protected through a sustainable, 13-year sovereign roadmap. The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda reached a milestone of national ownership during the commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of UN SCR 1325. This was evidenced by the operationalization of a permanent secretariat for the National Steering Committee, which formalized the coordination between high-level security actors—including the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security—and a coalition of over 110 strategic leaders from the Regional Women's Forum and civil society. This institutionalization ensured the rigorous monitoring of the National Action Plan (2022–2027) and the systematic application of the "Zero Tolerance" principle toward gender-based violence, effectively moving the WPS agenda from a project-based approach to a permanent pillar of the national security architecture. At the community level, the localization of the UN SCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security agenda was sustained through the optimized performance of the 15,019 women mediators who are present from the central level to the smallest unit of the community (refers to as the Hill Level). By resolving 782 local conflicts and fostering cross-ethnic dialogue, this network solidified a "bottom-up" peace capitalization process that is now formally recognized by local government structures. In line with its coordination mandate, UN Women in collaboration with the UN Country Team achieved a benchmark with regards to the UN’s joint accountability to Gender Equality through the UNCT SWAP Gender Score Card exercise. The development of the multi-year road map has carved a clear path for the operationalization of the GEAP in Burundi.