Sexual violence against women and girls in Burundi

The World Health Organization indicate that 35% of women worldwide have experienced partner or non-partner violence in some part of their lives, but in war-torn zones in some sub-Saharan African countries like Burundi, sexual violence was a part of the everyday lives of most women and girls during the periods of series of conflicts the country experienced. Sexual violence was used as a weapon of war by combatants during the conflict periods. However, even in the post-conflict era, the rate of various forms of sexual violence is still on a rise. This paper reviews the situation of sexual violence during and after the Burundi conflicts, influencing factors and the way forward.