Villagers listen to Thierry Kajeneza and a colleague speak about human rights.

Eight Ways to Stop Violence Against Women

April 1st, 6:16pm June 4th, 2:21pm

Human Rights

Thierry Kajeneza grew up witnessing the mistreatment of women and girls. To him, this mistreatment was not only a violation of their human rights but also a missed opportunity to include women and girls in Burundi’s post-civil war reconstruction.

In 2007, the YALI Network member took action. Kajeneza and his colleague established ICIRORE C’AMAHORO, a Ngozi province–based group that advocates for the rights of women and girls. Below, Kajeneza shares eight ways communities can stop violence against women and achieve gender equality:

Create laws and enforce existing laws that protect women from discrimination and violence, including rape, beatings, verbal abuse, mutilation, torture, “honor” killings and trafficking.
Educate community members on their responsibilities under international and national human rights laws.
Promote the peaceful resolution of disputes by including the perspectives of women and girls.
Strengthen women’s ability to earn money and support their households by providing skills training for women.
Sensitize the public to the disadvantages of early and forced child marriages.
Highlight the value of girls’ education and of women’s participation in economic development.
Encourage women to participate in the political process and educate the public about the value of women’s votes.
Raise public awareness of the poor conditions some women face, particularly in rural areas.

Take your pledge to end gender-based violence (GBV) in your communities at yali.state.gov/4her.