We must address sexual violence

Eight years ago, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 19 as the International
Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in an effort to raise awareness about this endemic tactic of war; honour the innumerable victims and survivors across the world, as well as those working to end these violations; and ultimately eradicate this dehumanising practice.

History has shown that whenever there is a political or security crisis juxtaposed with a militarised response, conflict-related sexual violence is deployed as a tactic to subdue, dehumanise, and terrorise civilians and opponents. Conflict-related sexual violence includes rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, pregnancy, abortion, sterilisation, and marriage; and all other comparably grave forms of sexual violence perpetrated against women, men, girls, or boys.

Uganda, whose history is replete with conflict, has not been immune. While the total number of individuals in Uganda affected by these violations is unknown, it is estimated that more than 25,000 women, men, boys and girls were victims of sexual and gender-based crimes during the two-decades-long conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army.  During the recent conflicts in the Rwenzori region, there have been reports of similar sexual violence. 

Conflict-related sexual and gender-based crimes have enduring consequences for victims. Survivors suffer lifelong physical, psychological, social, and economic harm. These adverse effects and traumas are now passed on from parent to child.  Research also shows that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence often experience ongoing violations, including stigma, discrimination, and social and economic exclusion, even during peacetime.

The commemoration of this day is significant for Uganda because it provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made as a country to prevent the recurrence of conflict- related sexual violence.  It also serves as a reminder of the pressing need to combat impunity for these crimes and provide redress to victims and survivors to enable them to live full, meaningful, and dignified lives.

In 2019, the government of Uganda passed the National Transitional Justice Policy to lay the foundation for peace, justice, accountability, healing, and reconciliation. However, the absence of an accompanying transitional justice law to enact the policy has hampered the realisation of these goals.

Uganda has contributed to the jurisprudence on sexual and gender-based crimes and the development of relevant legal standards. On December 15, 2022, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court upheld the conviction of Dominic Ongwen, a former child soldier and commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, of 61 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including 19 counts of sexual and gender-based crimes, including rape, forced marriage, torture, enslavement and forced pregnancy.

The conviction served as a vital recognition of the life-altering horrors that the young girls and women who were abducted experienced and it kick-started a reparations programme. It is incumbent upon the government as the primary duty-bearer to not only implement this programme but also provide holistic and appropriate support to survivors, especially those who fall outside the scope of Ongwen’s case. The government must urgently take steps to reduce the high rate of gender-based violence across the country. 

According to 2022 Police Annual Crime Report, 17,698 cases of domestic violence were recorded. It is estimated that gender-based violence incidences cost the Uganda economy about Shs77 billion annually.  Such violence thus incurs human, social, political and economic costs. To achieve the laudable goals envisioned in Vision 2040, we cannot allow any citizens, especially the most vulnerable, to be left behind.

Marianne Akumu is the Programme Associate at International Centre for Transitional Justice.