Project to unite12,000 women to fight violence
Violent conduct. A man fights with a woman in Lira District last year. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics data reflects that 51.9 percent of women aged 15 to 49 experience spousal violence, and 22 percent experience sexual violence.
At least more than 12,000 women will be mobilised mainly from the three oil producing districts into advocacy groups to lead the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and other human rights abuses.
The programme dubbed “Deepening the fight against GBV and Human rights abuses” seeks to train women in Hoima, Kikuube and Buliisa districts.
The women will be empowered to identify and address human rights abuses in connection with the presence of oil in their areas through different platforms.
Speaking at the launch of GBV programme in Kiboga District at the weekend, Mr Rajab Yusufu Bwengye, the National Association of Professional Environmentalists, said the women will be mobilised into a grassroot advocacy movement to champion the fight against rights abuses.
He added that the two-year project also seeks to establish 20 safe and operational spaces or shelters in the hotspots of domestic violence and other human rights abuses in the oil and gas producing districts.
The shelters are to be equipped and managed by trained community-based caretakers to enable victims of violence seek help and get justice.
Mr Bwengye said the project, which is supported by the EU, is expected to create platforms through which victims of rights violations will air their grievances. Among the platforms being supported is Kiboga-based community Green Radio.
Ms Rose Nazziwa, the family and child protection officer at Kiboga Police Station, attributed the high cases of domestic violence to breakdown in communication between couples and family members.
According to Ms Nazziwa, there is a growing tendency of men abandoning their homes because they fear to report such cases to the police, which leads to family breakdown.
Statistics
Uganda Bureau of Statistics data reflects that 51.9 percent of women aged 15 to 49 experience spousal violence, and 22 percent experience sexual violence.
Thirty-five percent of girls experience sexual violence and 59 percent of females report experiencing physical violence during childhood.
The Uganda Police Annual Crime report of 2020 indicates that 17,664 cases of domestic violence were reported compared to 13,693 reported in 2019.
The report further shows that more than 14,000 cases of gender-based violence and defilement were registered but less than 10 percent of the files were sent to court, resulting into a paltry 900 convictions.
