Kampala — WOMAN rights activists have hailed Uganda for its progress in the fight against violence.

"We are happy because momentum to end violence against women has greatly picked up. There are many players on board, especially the gender ministry and members of Parliament," Tina Musuya, the executive director of the Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention, said.

Musuya was addressing the press at a conference in Kampala yesterday where she announced the beginning of the annual 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

The international campaign, which will take place from November 25 to December 10, is observed by all UN member states.

It aims at raising awareness on the effects of violence against women.

Musuya also rooted for continued sensitisation to end the vice.

"There was so much silence in the past, but many women are now coming out to report cases of violence," she argued.

The activists however observed that there is so much resistance against gender campaigns. "People think that we (women) are becoming more problematic because we are opening up. They want us to be silent because domestic violence is considered a private affair," Musuya said.

Hope Turyasingwira, the centre's technical adviser, hailed the eighth Parliament's action to outlaw domestic violence by passing the domestic violence Bill into an act of Parliament.

Gender violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, and economic.

The Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2006 shows that 60% of women experience physical violence, 30% sexual violence and 16% violence during pregnancy.

Forced marriages still exist with 16% of the girls married off by the age of 15 and 53% by 18 years.

Annual Police reports also show that gender-based violence cases top the crime list yet few of the offenders are convicted.

In 2007, 12,230 defilement cases were reported to the Police - about 8,170 are pending inquiry, 4,060 were taken to court and only 23 were convicted.

Of the 599 rape cases that were reported, 341 are pending inquiry, 258 were taken to court and only five cases were heard and convicted.