Unclear policies blamed for donor aid misuse

African countries misuse development aid from donors because of "unclear" policies, Burundi's first vice-president, Martin Nduwimana, said at an ongoing regional conference on gender and development in Bujumbura.

"If we [African governments] set up clear policies, which would put an end to mismanagement, corruption and embezzlement, we will for sure give a chance to the integration of women in all sectors," Nduwimana said on Tuesday in an opening address at the four-day conference organised by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Burundi's ministry of national solidarity, human rights and gender equality.

He said to manage development aid well, African women, urban and rural, should be at the heart of the fight against poverty.

Participants from 22 African countries are taking part in the conference, aimed at seeking ways to better manage development aid in an equitable way.

Nduwimana acknowledged that women had mostly been excluded from Burundi's management, notably in higher government posts. A great deal needed to be done on gender equality in Burundi, but Nduwimana expressed satisfaction over progress to date. He said since 2003, with the signing of a peace and reconciliation agreement, the country had been putting into practice the requirement to allocate 30 percent of positions in the government's decision-making institutions to women.

Seven of Burundi's 21 cabinet members are women, including the second vice-president. The speaker of the parliament's lower chamber is also a woman.

"Sectors which have not finished implementing the women's share should do it quickly for good governance to lead to development," Nduwimana said.

The minister in charge of gender, Françoise Ngendahayo, said the aim of the conference was to make aid accessible to all, but particularly women. "Development which does not emphasise the role of women is doomed to failure," she said.

Participants are to use the conference to prepare a forum on gender and integral development scheduled to take place in Ghana in 2008.

Besides Burundi, the countries represented at the conference are: Botswana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The US is also participating in the conference as it hosts the UNIFEM headquarters in New York.

an/js/mw