{"id":26495,"date":"2026-07-16T15:01:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nimd.org\/?p=26495"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:35:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:35:53","slug":"a-quota-is-not-enough-getting-women-in-politics-in-burundi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nimd.org\/nl\/a-quota-is-not-enough-getting-women-in-politics-in-burundi\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEen quotum is niet genoeg\u201d \u2013 vrouwen in de politiek in Burundi\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

NIMD Burundi has been working to strengthen women’s political leadership for years. We spoke with the team about the current situation, the structural barriers that persist, and what it will take to create lasting change.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women’s representation in Burundi’s elected bodies has increased significantly in recent years. What does the picture look like today?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2025 elections marked real progress in Burundi, where women now hold 46% of seats in the Senate, nearly 39% in the National Assembly, and 32% of seats on municipal councils. All increased since the 2020 elections.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burundi’s constitutional quota of 30% for elected bodies implemented in 2018 has clearly played a role in driving these gains. But the picture is uneven. Among community leaders, village chiefs, and village councils, women’s representation remains particularly low, and the same is true for non-elected political and technical positions, which fall outside the scope of the quota entirely. So while the numbers at the top are encouraging, the structural problem runs deeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the main barriers holding women back?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The barriers can be divided into three main blockades; cultural, economic, and political.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culturally, Burundian society remains deeply patriarchal. Political and economic roles are widely seen as the domain of the man, while a woman is expected to fulfil her societal role through homemaking. A woman who enters politics is therefore still often perceived as neglecting her household, a stigma that has a real deterrent effect on many women to take the leap.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economic barriers persist \u2013 for instance, customary law prevents women from inheriting land, which limits their financial independence and their ability to self-fund a political campaign. The Burundian man does not face the same constraint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And politically, even women who do get elected face pressure to follow their party line rather than advocate for their peers. Without official solidarity networks or mentoring structures, elected women can find themselves isolated and unable to push a common agenda. NIMD organizes many activities for handling this issue, notably: <\/p>\n\n\n\n