Economic integration of women in the development process of Burundi

Three in particular stand out: women"s legal status with regard to inheritance and property rights; increasing demographic pressure and health problems; and the slow pace of agricultural productivity relative to population growth. This report reviews the status of women in Burundi, with particular focus on rural women, and proposes a three-point strategy to incorporate women into the economic development process. The strategy involves: (1) legislative reform, including liberalizing women"s rights in regard to inheritance, divorce, property ownership, equal employment and training opportunities, and, for married women, access to personal bank accounts and credit; (2) institutional reform within the national family planning program, including strengthening of the numbers and training of mid-level program personnel and creating systems of provincial mobile health units and itinerant doctors; and (3) agricultural policy reforms focused on solving household energy problems and incorporating women into the agricultural technology transfer process. Action proposals for USAID in pursuing this strategy conclude the report.