Kampala — THE new law against gender-based violence will not stop abuse against women if the root causes of mistreatment are not addressed, women rights activists have warned.

Prof. Sylvia Tamale, the dean of the Faculty of Law at Makerere University, said the law does not address structural and institutional issues relating to gender-based violence.

"It is merely reactive and is inept to prevent the root causes of domestic violence," she said.

Tamale was speaking at the Nora's Sisters Dialogue on the rights and roles of women at Makerere University on Friday.

Presenting a paper on 'Domestic Violence and Gender Relations in Contemporary Uganda,' Tamale said while the law attempts to create harmony and peace within families, it does not elevate women to top positions in society.

She argued that for any law to address violence against women, it must first deal with the powerful sexist cultural values and patriarchal power relations.

"Hot temper or alcohol abuse, for example, may facilitate incidents of domestic violence, but neither of them is by any means the underlying reason for the abuse," Tamale said.

She urged the Government to sensitise the public on the prejudices, stereotypes, biases, misinformation and myths about women in society.

Miria Matembe, a renown women' rights activist, said the best way for women to advocate for their rights was through negotiation.

"I don't support the idea that gender equality and women empowerment should be attained at the cost of the family," she said.

The Norwegian ambassador, Bjorg Leite, said Uganda had created an enabling environment to fight discrimination against women.