During this Civil war since 1993, all the aspects of Gender Based Violence (GBV) had gone increasing especially those related to sexual violence. There were an amounting number of young women victims of rape, sexual assaults and sexual harassment giving the room to the increasing number of undesired pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other STIs new contamination, schools drop-out, etc
Much sexual violences are continually committed: In 2009, the "Centre SERUKA" hosted 1490 victims i.e. 124 victims per month. The national study on violence against women during conflict shows that in 2009 about 6028 people who responded to the survey questions, 355 people, or 5%, accept being a victim of an attempted rape while 155 or 2.6% were actually victims. In 2010,1. 727 cases of sexual violence of 1646 female victims were identified in Burundi between January and October 2010 (Iteka Bujumbura 29/11/2011). These GBV have negative health, psycho-social and economic consequences.3
YOWLI Burundi is conducting a program of sensitization on gender based violence in public and private universities of Burundi and in secondary schools with regard to youth especially young women. The objective is an awareness activism on form and nature of gender violence, breaking cultural barriers so gender based violence can be revealed because most of the times there are hidden habits.
We chose the secondary schools and Universities because there are the bases of the future leading society to promote advocacy in coming leadership. Also, it is the place where many gender based violence are happening including dating and courtship violence, economically coerced sex, rape, sexual assault and harassment, forced sexual intercourse for school marks…
To come to an end of those above shown issues, YOWLI Burundi is making a campaign of awareness and breaking cultural barriers to denounce every of them. After what an advocacy activity will be conducted.