BURKINA FASO

Burkina Faso’s National Action Plan was adopted in 2013 for the period 2013-2016. There does not appear to be a later NAP, or indication that a further one is in progress.

Objectives of the 2013-2016 NAP

The NAP comprises four Strategic Axes, each supported by several objectives, each in turn supported by specific activities with anticipated results.

Strategic Axis 1:  The protection and rehabilitation of women who have suffered violence:  (supported by the following objectives and anticipated results:)

• Improve the care provided to women girls who have suffered violence: 

•  Women and girls who have suffered violence will benefit from psychological, sanitary, social and legal care; 
• Women and girls who have suffered violence will be rehabilitated economically.

• Contribute to reducing violence against women and girls: 

• Perpetrators of violence against women and girls will be prosecuted and punished.

Strategic Axis no. 2: The integration of gender into the governance of security and defence

• Improve the knowledge of security and defence officials on national, regional and international legislation relating to violence against women and girls:

• The national, regional and international legal instruments relating to violence against women and girls will become familiar to security and defence officers.

• Facilitate the integration of women and girls recruited into the military and paramilitary forces:

• Women and girls recruited into the security services will be better integrated within their respective contexts.

Strategic Axis no. 3: The prevention of violence against women and girls

• Promote the understanding and adoption of the values of gender equality within the population:

• Legal texts on gender equality will be translated into national languages and distributed to the population;
• Students at universities and institutes of public and private higher education will be sensitized to gender issues.

• Promote acceptance by the general public of public policies implemented by the State to support the protection and advancement of women:

• The grassroots participation of citizens in defining and monitoring public policies for promoting women will improve.

Strategic Axis no. 4: The improvement of knowledge and expertise relating to violence against women:

• Increase the production of scientific knowledge on issues of violence against women and girls:

• A research guide on gender issues will be developed and distributed;
• Interest in universities and other training institutes will be stimulated with respect to research into violence against women and girls.

• Improve the relevance of public policies with respect to violence against women and girls:

• Scientific knowledge on gender issues will be used by policies relating to gender issues.

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Commentary 

Burkina Faso shares borders with many countries affected by conflict, and as such recognises the need to develop the legal, education and structural means for integrating gender issues into peacekeeping and security processes. 

Women in Burkina Faso suffer an array of violence existing within unfavourable economic, social and legal contexts. As a result, the NAP is heavily focused on protecting women and girls from gender-based violence. The country recognises that increasing women’s participation at all levels of decision making nationally, and internationally, would be ‘an undeniable asset in combating violence against women.’ 

The NAP includes several matrices indicating which agency is responsible for implementation of the objectives and activities, together with indicators for monitoring progress and the budget for each activity across each of the three years of the NAP.

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Civil Society

While Civil Society were not heavily involved in the drafting of the National Action Plan, representatives from three civil society organisations active in the promotion of women and national research centres are involved in the monitoring of implementation, alongside government departments and institutions. This committee will focus on providing opinions and recommendations on the implementation of the action plan. 

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UN Peacekeeping Statistics

At May 2023 Burkina Faso contributed a total of 936 UN Peacekeeping personnel, in the following ranks, and disaggregated by gender:

By July 2023 the total number of Burkina Faso’s UN peacekeeping personnel had fallen to 930; the gender and rank of the reduced number is not known.

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Women in Peacekeeping

The above table shows that while Burkina Faso contributes a significant number of individual police officers, it has a way to go to achieving a better gender balance overall. Burkina Faso pledges to take action to integrate gender into the governance of security and defence. To this end, they aim to improve the knowledge of security and defence officials on national, regional and international legislation relating to violence against women and girls. They also aim to facilitate the integration of women and girls recruited into the military and paramilitary forces by improving recruitment, providing training to those responsible for integration, and strengthening involvement of women in peacekeeping operations. 

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References and Sources

Burkina Faso National Action Plan (English Translation): https://www.un.org/shestandsforpeace/sites/www.un.org.shestandsforpeace/files/burkina-faso-nap_2013_-_2016_english.pdf

United Nations Peacekeeping. (July 2023): Troop and police contributors | United Nations Peacekeeping

Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (May 2023): 05-Missions Detailed By Country

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