Strengthening Women’s Organizations to Build Sustainable Peace in Burundi

As part of its mandate to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, UN Women Burundi, with the financial support of the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), is implementing a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the institutional, organizational and technical capacities of its women-led civil society partners.

This initiative aligns with Burundi’s national, regional and international commitments on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), as well as UN Women’s vision of a world free from gender-based discrimination, where women and girls fully participate in governance, development, peace and security processes.

A strategic investment in women-led civil society organizations

In 2023, UN Women Burundi mobilized USD 972,847.50 to improve the Women, Peace and Security enabling environment. Following consultations with the Steering Committee, the funding was allocated to 10 civil society organizations, including several new partners and consortium-based projects.

An assessment of partners’ management capacities revealed significant gaps in institutional governance, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and compliance with United Nations standards. To address these challenges and ensure sustainability of WPHF-funded interventions, UN Women opted for a structured approach through the recruitment of a specialized institutional capacity-building firm.

An integrated and sustainability-driven approach

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Burundi Representative and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, the selected firm will implement the capacity-strengthening programme over a three-month period in Bujumbura.

The intervention focuses on two complementary pillars. The first pillar targets institutional strengthening, supporting partners in the development, review or improvement of key governance tools, including procedures manuals, strategic plans, annual action plans, Policies on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), and anti-fraud policies, in line with UN standards.

The second pillar focuses on technical capacity development through tailored training sessions on project management, organizational financial sustainability, financial auditing, and gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation. In addition, experience-sharing sessions among women’s organizations will be facilitated to promote peer learning, good practice replication and networking among civil society actors pursuing similar objectives.

Measurable results by the end of Programmes

The initiative is expected to deliver concrete and measurable results. At least 20 women’s organizations will have enhanced organizational capacities, while a minimum of six organizations will be equipped with and actively applying essential institutional and strategic documents, including procedures manuals, PSEA policies, anti-fraud policies and strategic plans.

These results will contribute to improved implementation of WPHF-funded projects and to the long-term institutional sustainability of women-led organizations, strengthening their role as key actors in peacebuilding, social cohesion and sustainable development in Burundi.

Reaffirming commitment to effective partnerships

Through this initiative, UN Women Burundi reaffirms its commitment to strong, accountable and well-equipped partnerships as a critical driver for advancing gender equality and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. By investing in the capacities of women’s organizations, UN Women and the WPHF are contributing to a more resilient civil society ecosystem capable of delivering lasting impact for women and girls across Burundi.