Gender and Elections Workshop in Gitega, Burundi

Enhancing women’s political participation topped the agenda during a week-long BRIDGE workshop in Gitega, Burundi (27-31 October 2014). The course, which was organized by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) of Burundi and convened and supported by UN Women-Burundi, brought together electoral administrators from the CENI’s head offices, including two members of the executive office.

The workshop was tailored to the pre-electoral environment in Burundi. Notably, new material on understanding and applying data disaggregation of electoral statistics was introduced. The group explored how to analyze sex-disaggregated data in five areas (enrollment, turnout, staffing, candidates and electoral disputes). In addition, the group studied electoral systems and their impact on the design of Temporary Special Measures (TSM). The course placed special emphasis on gender mainstreaming issues for electoral management bodies and how EMBs can help prevent gender-specific election violence.

UN Women and the CENI expect to follow-up this course with abbreviated sessions for the provincial and communal level electoral administrators (CEPI and CECI). The Gitega workshop was led by international facilitator Gabrielle Bardall in cooperation with Burundian faciliators from the CENI, Agnes Ndayikeza and Consolée Bizimana.