"Friends and many other girls are still discriminated because they were born girls, others see their lives mocked because of unwanted pregnancies, many others are still subjected to gender-based violence. This is not normal and it is unacceptable". This is Jeanne Irakoze from Burundi! She is a young girl whom, at the age of 19, can no longer bear the social and cultural injustices girls and women are facing. Committed to the fight against gender-based violence and the promotion of women's and girls' rights, Jeanne Irakoze began her coaching work at the Kamenge youth center, a center in the north of Bujumbura that is an educational, sports, cultural and recreational structure for young people and that UNFPA has supported for a decade. She defines herself as an artist, slammer, and activist. She has been invited to different events organized by others, but now in December 2022 she organized her own show entitled "ENOUGH” that was supported by UNFPA.
Who is that committed pearl?
In a 19-year-old heart, a noble cause is born...
Born into a family of 6 children, Jeanne Irakoze, 25, is the youngest of 4 boys and 2 girls. In 2016, at the age of 19, she couldn't take it anymore: "I felt powerless in front of the misfortune that girls like me and women in my society were suffering. I could no longer stand to watch without doing anything, someone had to denounce, prevent, break the taboos and shout ENOUGH! STOP!"
As some say, where there’s a will, there’s a way! Indeed, just at the beginning of this growing revolt, Jeanne's first encounter with UNFPA was in a sensitization and training program on adolescents and youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH) called "Menyumenyeshe" that took place at the Kamenge Youth Center (CJK). The click was made: "With the first training I had with UNFPA at CJK, I understood that in addition to my girlfriends and acquaintances, there are many other girls who drop out of school because of pregnancy and/or early marriage, there are many other girls who do not have the same rights as their brothers because they were born girls, and there are many more who no longer have any hope. UNFPA has equipped me, trained me and informed me; UNFPA allowed me to participate in an international conference at the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 25) in Kenya with people from all over the world who share with me the same fight. This inspired me a lot, my doors were opened and I started doing message-based slams”.
A shining star becomes a role model for her peers...
Shyly but surely, she’s starting to fly to great horizons. Jeanne Irakoze, more confident, launches herself and passes strong messages through her art: the slam!
She sensitizes adolescents and young people, girls in particular, to become aware of their sexual reproductive health and rights. Through her slam she also sensitizes couples, especially women, to their good reproductive health and empowerment without forgetting to talk about their right to health and to the choice of a better future that they should have. Even more, she sounds the alarm to the authorities and decision-makers; she denounces the perpetrators of rape and abuse of power; 6 years later, she is not ready to stop as long as there are still girls and/or women deprived of their rights just because of their gender. Her slam is the only art she uses to alert, to sensitize to empowerment, to denounce, and raise awareness.
Full of confidence, Jeanne organizes, in December 2022, her own show and she is very much proud of it. With a lot of emotions, she shares: "Today, I am very proud! I’ve just organized my own show with the support of UNFPA that accompanied me for the last 6 years. I was invited to several events in Bujumbura, in provinces, in Kenya for the ICPD 25, in Rwanda, etc. Wherever I have been, I always tried to break taboos and bring those who listen to me to recognize violence and all kind of abuse must absolutely be stopped and banned". What always encouraged her were the testimonies of young girls and elders who take her as a model. Some share with her : “you have spoken about me”. Other girls are like: “thank you very much Jeanne, you just inspire us; if you can do it, we can as well”.
This rising star of Burundi added that through her art, she wants to be the voice of the vulnerable, especially women, girls and street children. She did not fail to acknowledge the presence in her show of agents of the Burundian Ministry in charge of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender; the presence of representatives of UNFPA and UNWOMEN, the presence of partners and other artists, adolescents and young people without forgetting the presence of her own family, which did not understand her art and her mission at the beginning. "It’s up to us girls and women to take the first step before all others towards the change we desire. Isn't it great that I, Jeanne, today I manage to gather the great authorities and great partners around my show and my cause?" She exclaimed with a broad laugh!
The best is still to come for this very talented young girl and artist!
By Queen Belle Monique NYENITEKA
