The Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) has urged parliament to fast- track gender bills that were recently returned to the 11th Parliament to help tackle the issue of is violence against women and girls.
The Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) has urged parliament to fast- track gender bills that were recently returned to the 11th Parliament to help tackle the issue of is violence against women and girls.
Violence against women and girls remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation against women in Uganda. It is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women, and that violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men," said Rita Aciro, the UWONET Executive Director.
She noted that violence against women and girls takes various forms including sexual, economic, physical and emotional violence, noting that this presents a major barrier to the realization of full and equal rights and has severe consequences.
"The 2021 National Survey on Violence Against Women conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) indicated that 95% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence or both by partners or non- partners since the age of 15 years. 2020 UBOS survey found that 56% of partnered women have experienced intimate partner violence of a sexual or physical nature or both, 76% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a non-partner, 22% of these perpetrators being family members, and 86% of women have experienced violence at the workplace,"Aciro noted.
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Child marriage is still high in Uganda with 34 percent of women 20-24 years were married or in union before age 18 and 7 percent were married before the age of 15. Available data also indicates that 13 percent and 52 percent of girls and women aged 15-49, respectively, have been subjected to female genital mutilation."
The activists said the recently concluded 16 days campaign under the theme "UNiTE! Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls" should be used to further front the fight for rights of women and girls.
"The 16 days of activism campaign provides an opportunity to strategize on solutions and good practices for ending violence against women and girls. Parliament of Uganda should fast -track the gender bills that were recently returned to the 11th Parliament, including the Sexual Offences Bill, 2019,"UWONET said.
The activists asked that the justice, law and order sector prioritises violence against women and girls cases that were reported especially as exacerbated during the COVID 19 pandemic.
"The justice system should expedite the investigation and prosecution of these cases. The public should speak out against violence against women and girls and support victims to report to the appropriate authorities."
