SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS TO FIGHT GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a problem across societies, classes, races, religions and ethnicities, affecting an estimated one in three women in the course of her lifetime yet many times the victims remain silent. 

In FOWODE‘s work on women and leadership, especially during our civic engagements, the issue of domestic violence generally and GBV in particular has always emerged. We believe that the “personal is political” and thus as we talk leadership it is critical to deal with emerging issues such as GBV. In 2012, we therefore embarked on engaging communities on GBV as part of our contribution to building communities of hope, aware of their rights and able to drive their own change. We supported the development of community informal structures called Community Advocacy Groups (CAGs) which have made a great contribution to GBV prevention. This week 12 community outreaches on GBV were held in 6 districts of Uganda including, Kween, Gulu, Pallisa, Kitgum, Lira and Nebbi.

The community outreaches aimed at increasing community awareness on Gender based Violence so as to proactively participate in its prevention and control. Over 600 citizens widened their understanding of gender, deconstructing myths and fallacies and learning the manifestations of gender inequalities upon which GBV largely thrives; identification of GBV types, causes, effects,  legal framework and roles of the various stakeholders in GBV prevention. The rampant occurrence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is a result of the negative cultural practices and alcoholism in the various communities, the CAG community outreaches revealed.  “There are elements which put girls and women under the authority of boys and men such that when they grow up, they fear them and are vulnerable to any acts of violence,” Ongan Natalyn, GBV trainer, Nebbi emphasized.   The communities confessed that almost 99% of all homes have experienced Gender based due to several factors. In Adekekwok sub county, Lira District, the elders highlighted the fight for property, money and land as well as lack of respect for each other as people that should co-exist as a propeller of GBV. The women in Gulu and Kitgum  said that their daughters are only looked at as a source of brideprice by the fathers and not sent to school because anytime they will get pregnant and drop out.

“Gender based Violence acts have increased due to high drinking addictions of the men, they make agricultural sales from the women’s labour and instead use the money for alcohol that turns them more violent instead of paying for school fees.”  said Angom Mary ,  Auch village in Kitgum district.

The communities also highlighted the various effects of GBV where they realized that GBV not only affects the women as it was known to many but rather affects the children, men as well as the entire society. While this is so, unfortunately, there is a lot of fear among citizens especially women to report GBV cases. “ Many women are afraid to report rape and other forms of violence not only because of intimidation, hostility and ridicule from the community but also due to the entrenched culture of impunity that prevails, not much is done to the perpetrators.” Ocan Comfort , CDO Nebbi

Additionally, there is fear of stigmatization of victims especially of rape and defilement, impunity of the police where sometimes when the offenders are left free they revenge by tormenting the victims which results into death. Amidst the several fears and challenges, communities did not fail to commit their efforts towards reducing GBV. They realized they have a fundamental role and duty to play in human rights protection for all people to live peacefully and in harmony.  Citizens agreed that it is not only the role of the leaders but their responsibility; starting with the homes in which they live and as they groom the future generation. Citizens have several roles such as;  sensitization of communities on GBV, counseling of the victims, helping the victims to seek justice and guide them on the referral pathways, elect leaders that have moral authority and have no bad history on GBV, lobby the leaders to formulate laws against habits such as alcoholism, and build shelter homes among other others.

I commit myself to explain the training to my husband since he is an alcoholic and has no assets; we have to plan for the children we have without having to fight about family planning. I will encourage him to leave drinking and instead use the money to acquire property so that we can send our children to school especially the girls so that they are not victims of early marriages. Afoyochan Jecka, Gulu district

FOWODE, under her strategy of Community Empowerment, continues to enhance awareness of women’s rights and obligations. This is in recognition of the fact that there is persistent and widespread denial of women’s basic human rights in Uganda. As such, ending Gender Based Violence still requires ardent efforts by all the stakeholders. It is important for us all to realize that we have a role to play and we play it now to create change! For FOWODE, this change is being advanced through establishing communities of hope with voice and power to transform societies. To date, FOWODE has formed 16 Community Advocacy Groups comprising of 320 change agents in 8 districts of Uganda including Mbarara, Masaka, Lira, Nebbi, Kween, Pallisa, Gulu and Kitgum.