Country Data
Burundi (Republic of Burundi) has a Bicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and upper house and at the sub-national level. 47 of 123 (38%) seats in the Inama NshingmateKa / National Assembly are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Upper House? Yes
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Mar 30, 2022
Single/Lower House
Inama NshingmateKa / National Assembly
Total seats | 123 |
Total Women | 47 |
% Women | 38% |
Election Year | 2020 |
Electoral System | List PR |
Quota Type | Reserved seats |
Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
Legal source | Details | |
---|---|---|
Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | The National Assembly is composed of at least 100 deputies in rates of 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi, of which a minimum of 30% must be women, elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of 5 years and 3 deputies issuing from the Twa ethnicity co-opted according to the electoral code (Article 169). |
Electoral law | Article 108 (1) of the 2014 Electoral Code stipulates that at least 30% of the members of the National Assembly must be women. In addition Article 127 (4) of the Electoral Code states that lists must take gender balance into account and that one in 4 candidates must be a woman. |
|
Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Constitution | "In the case that the results of an election do not reflect the percentages outlined above, it proceeds to the rectification of corresponding imbalances by means of cooptation provided for in the Electoral Code" (Article 169). According to the Electoral Law, if the election results do not fulfill the quota requirements, a process of co-optation will follow, whereby the Electoral Administration adds, from the candidate lists that have obtained at least 5% of the votes cast, more members from the under-represented ethnic group or gender until the quota requirements are met (Article 108 .2 of the Electoral Code). |
Rank order/placement rules | Constitution | ”The elections of deputies occur following the ballot of bloc lists by proportional representation. These lists must have a multiethnic character and take into account the balance between men and women. For three candidates registered on a list, only two can belong to the same ethnic group, and at least one of three must be a woman” (Article 173). |
Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Sénat / Senate
Total seats | 39 |
Total Women | 16 |
% Women | 41% |
Election Year | 2020 |
Electoral System | Indirectly elected |
Quota Type | Reserved seats> |
Legal source | Details | |
---|---|---|
Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | The Senate is composed of: a minimum rate of 30% women is guaranteed. Electoral law determines practical ways and, with cooptation in due case (Article 185).
|
Electoral law | Article 142 of the Electoral Code of 2014 requires a minimum of 30 % women in the Senate. |
|
Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Constitution | The Electoral Law shall provide for a co-optation mechanism, if necessary, so that the 30% quota for women is met (Article 185 of the Constitution). In addition, the Electoral Law states that if the quota requirements are not met, a process of co-optation will follow, whereby the Electoral Administration, in consultation with the parties concerned, adds more members from the candidate lists that have obtained at least 5% of the votes cast, until the quota requirements are met (Article 142.2 of the Electoral Code). |
Rank order/placement rules | No | None |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Reserved seats
Legal source | Details | |
---|---|---|
Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | |
Electoral law | The Communal Councils comprise 15 members, 30% of which must be women (Article 182.2 of the Electoral Code). In addition, article 177.2 stipulates that, for elections to the District Councils, the five candidates with the highest number of votes are elected. In case two candidates have obtained the same number of votes, priority is given to the candidate of the less represented gender. |
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Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | In case the composition of the Communal Council does not reflect the ethnical and gender diversity, the Independent National Electoral Commission, in consultation with the parties concerned, can, through a mechanism of co-optation, appoint the necessary number of members from the candidates list that obtained the highest number of votes, until the quota requirements are met (Articles 181 (2) and 191 of the electoral code). |
Rank order/placement rules | No | None |
Additional Information
The 2005 Constitution also stipulates a 30% quota for women in government posts (Article 129). In addition, Article 33 of the law on political parties stipulates that no more than three out of every four members of a party’s organizational structure shall be of the same gender.
Burundi uses constitutional reserved seats for parliament as it is decided that a certain percentage among those elected must be women. The reserved seats are in combination with a legislated quota since the Electoral Code states that lists must take gender balance into account and that one in four candidates must be a woman, meaning a minimum for the share of women on the candidate lists is set.
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Loi no 1/20 du 3 juin 2014 portant revision de la loi no. 1/22 du 18 septembre 2009 portant code electorale [Electoral Code 2014]
- Loi no 1/010 du 18 Mars 2005 portant promulgation de la Constitution de la République du Burundi [Law 1/010 of 18 March 2005 promulgating the Constitution of the Republic of Burundi]
-
Burundi's Constitution of 2018 (Constituteproject.org)
OTHER SOURCES
- United Nations Security Council 2015 Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi
[Accessed: 2021-10-04] - IPU-Parline - Data on women
[Accessed: 2021-10-04]
Additional reading
- Nzoyisenga, F. 2020.15 Years of Gender Quotas in Burundi: What’s the Impact? GIWPS.[Accessed: 2021-03-22]
- Brand, S. 2018. Political Participation of Women in Burundi. MDF Training & Consultancy Ede, May 2018.[Accessed: 2021-03-22]
- Guariso, A., Ingelaere, B., & Verpoorten, M. 2018. When Ethnicity Beats Gender: Quotas and Political Representation in Rwanda and Burundi. Development and Change. 49. 10.1111/dech.12451. [Accessed: 2021-03-22]
- History of the Burundi National Assembly, http://www.assemblee.bi/spip.php?article420/