Josephine Nakato Matovu
7 August 2007
opinion
Kampala — I was delighted a couple of weeks ago when I was informed that Uganda had received a DNA machine, which is supposed to help identify the paternity of children.
I was pleased about the machine, but for different reasons. I am a social worker and have worked in the violence against women field for 20 years.
The bulk of my work in the past six years has been supporting women grappling with the effects of historical childhood sexual abuse; drug facilitated sexual assault that include alcohol, sexual assault, date rape and sexual harassment.
The presenting issues for women are complex since they intersect with race, class, gender, sexual orientation and ability.
In addition, women may experience post traumatic stress and mental health issues that manifest through depression, relationship issues, concurrent disorders, low self-esteem, a lack of boundaries, anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation and self-injurious behaviours. Other effects include insomnia, flashbacks of the assault, anger, mistrust, betrayal, shock, guilt, shame and fear.
I know that the DNA machine could be utilised in solving crimes with the collection of DNA evidence to compare against suspects and/or offenders in sexual assault cases.
However, I am sure that few women and children are in a position to pay the large amounts of money for DNA testing that is required to prove their cases in court. When a woman is sexually assaulted, and goes to the hospital within a period of 72 hours, DNA, including, hairs, semen and bodily fluids (rape kit) can be collected as forensic evidence, which can prove that sexual contact took place, although, proving consent can be difficult.
Although, if we as a society adhered to our social contract and made sexual assault a priority, I am sure we would find ways that would support women.
Survivors of sexual assault rely on unhealthy coping strategies, which include the use and misuse of drugs and alcohol as well as double victimisation very common among children that are forced to run away from home to escape the abuse, eating disorders and promiscuity.
The goal is to support survivors of sexual assault in making decisions and choices as they learn healthier coping strategies that facilitate well- being.
I believe that education is key in working towards the eradication of sexual abuse among women and children. We must make sexual assault a priority and hold ourselves accountable by being proactive and address sexual assault with pragmatic solutions that speak to the rights of women and children.
We need the commitment of our government and community leaders to prioritise violence against women and children through the implementation of laws and policies that integrate a gender analysis reflected in programmes across the board. Schools need to build partnerships with existing organisations that work on social justice issues such as violence against women and children.
Accessibility to resources is key in addressing issues such as sexual assault; it is imperative that we advocate for prevention education on violence against women and children in schools, counselling and support services for survivors and changes to the criminal justice system.
In addition, here is a list of 10 things men can do to end sexual assault, courtesy of the Sexual Assault Support Center.
- Do not rape. This may sound overly simple or even insulting, but not raping means getting consent each and every time. Take a second to listen to the answer.
- Do not use the word "rape" to describe passion or desire.
- Understand that no woman wants to be raped (regardless of the fantasies she may have about being "taken" - which are common among people of both genders).
- Do not buy movies, music or pornography which encourages the idea that women like sexual violence, and that women (children) exist to meet men's sexual needs.
- Do not whistle at, talk to, or look at women in ways that make them uncomfortable (and yes, women get to judge this).
- Interrupt buddies who violate -verbally or physically -women's spaces.
- Interrupt sexual harassment at work or school.
- Teach sons and young men that sexually pressuring a date is unacceptable.
- Do not believe that women owe sex to men - no matter what the circumstances.
- Believe that when a woman says "NO" she means No.
The tone in which we address violence against women and children in general needs to shift to reflect a paradigm that believes that women and children matter. As civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
The writer is a Ugandan living in Ottawa, Canada
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