Gender-Environment and Development Action started as a result of numerous stories that were awash in the media about the increased teenage pregnancies and high child marriages in Kasese District. One of the stories was of one “Muhindo” not her real names who was a primary seven pupil of 16 years old and got impregnated by a would be good “Samaritan” that offered her 1,000 to buy books because her mother would not afford https://www.unicef.org/uganda/stories/plight-adolescent-girl-rural-kasese-western-uganda There was another story of the youngest mother in Uganda that gave birth at the age of 11 years and so many other related stories. The fertility rate of the Bakonzo in Kasese also stood at an average of 6.1 births per woman far beyond the national average of 5.4 https://uganda.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/family_planning_atlas_2019.pdf . In addition, Kasese District ranked highly in child marriages and teenage pregnancies that affect the health and dignity of the girl child.
This coupled with the increase of environmental hazards like floods, mudslides, drought among others in Kasese increased the vulnerability of women and girls and affected the social economic development of the households in the District leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and high malnutrition rates, Gender Based Violence and Violence against Children among others.
Therefore the mission was to understand the measures and drivers of gender related issues and environmental degradation, carry out research with strong commitment to providing solutions and remedies to the above and much more.
A team of strong minded individuals with a wide range of experience, expertise and dynamic academic backgrounds came together to tackle the challenges in our communities through research, engaging the women and girls, boys and men the leaders in several environment and gender related issues. We realize girls and women interact with the environment most often looking for firewood, cultivating the land and therefore being more attracted to environmental degradation. we engage them to use other alternative energy sources like energy cooking stoves, heat retention bags, briquettes among others.
The other approach being employed by GEDA Uganda is “men engage” especially with the issues to do with Sex and Gender based violence (SGBV), SRHR, doing counseling, referral pathways among others.
Therefore the formation of Gender-Environment and Development Action Uganda was informed by these challenges that we needed to tackle .
Goals & Objectives
- To mitigate GBV risks and respond to gender based violence cases using the GBV referral path way
- To promote appropriate reproductive health and menstrual hygiene intervention at community, health facilities and in schools
- To promote gender responsive innovations in Agriculture & Agrobusiness, environment and Energy and ensure climate justice.
- To promote maternal, Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) to prevent and treat malnutrition for children under five and Pregnant and lactating Women
- To promote integrated skilling programs for the teenage mothers and youth out of school and improve youth transition to decent, gainful and dignified work
Vision: “GEDA Uganda envisions a world where gender equity and environmental sustainability prevail, in which women and girls have the power to harness their full potential”
The mission is to “Promote gender and environmentally sensitive development initiatives for resilient and dignified lives for all”
Organisation Structure
