Commemoration of the 16 days of Activism 2022-GEDA Uganda

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign observed every year to raise visibility around the call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence. The prevalence of violence against women and girls in all its forms in most countries is endemic. Two out of three women  experience some form of violence in their lifetime. It is also true that Over 62% of young women have had their first sexual encounter by the age of 18 either forcefully or other unhealthy ways. These challenges have also led to high population growth driven by high rates of unwanted births, currently at 52% with teenage pregnancies accounting for 25% of over one million pregnancies recorded annually (UNFPA Report 2021).

In committing to the cause of ending violence against women and girls in Uganda, GEDA Uganda supports its members in developing and implementing measures across the region to promote the elimination of violence against women and girls.

GEDA Uganda is also committed to ending gender-based violence by creating a workplace that is respectful of the rights of all, with zero-tolerance of violence against women, girls and children.

We’re commemorating this years #16daysofactivitism by creating awareness on ending Gender-Based Violence and Violence against Children, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) amongst the Youth, the teenage mothers and other categories of the community. We have also continued to offer practical skills to these teenage mothers and other youth as we pass messages as mentioned above.

It is our responsibility to ender violence against women and girls, boys and men for dignified and resilient lives for all.

Gender-Environment and Development Action: Statement on the 16 days of activism

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December. This day was initiated in 1991 by the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, held by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University.

There has been a lot of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the whole world and there has been lots of statistics about this and so the 16 days of activism were adopted to create awareness about these challenges of VAWG, engage leaders and different stakeholders in the fight against VAWG among others.

According to the latest estimates, nearly 1 in 3 women aged 15 years and older, around the world have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, non-partner or both, at least once in their lifetime, indicating that levels of VAWG have remained largely unchanged over the last decade (UN Women). These numbers do not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and would be even higher if they included the full continuum of violence that affect women and girls including sexual harassment, violence in digital contexts, harmful practices and sexual exploitation. COVID-19 has exacerbated all the risk factors for VAWG, including unemployment and poverty, and reinforced many of the root causes such as gender stereotypes and harmful social norms. It has been estimated that 11 million girls may not return to school because of COVID-19, thereby increasing their risk of child marriage.

According to a survey by UBOS and UN Women (2020) in Uganda https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/uganda_rga_full_report.pdf , it found out that gender-based violence victims are largely being violated by people they live with/other household members, This includes spouses (33%), father (9%), mother (4%), other relatives (4%), sibling (2%), and daughter/son (1%). Therefore, awareness about the law, guidance and engagement with different actors is very key especially during these 16 days of Activism.

Gender-Environment and Development Action Uganda stands with the rest of the Partners, CSOs to commemorate and participate in making awareness through media about VAWG. GEDA Uganda currently works with teenage mothers in Kasese District to skill them in Knitting, tailoring and craft shoe making as a way of giving them hope.

Teenage mothers practical training session in craft shoe making

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”. We are committed to contributing towards SDG 5 and we would like to encourage each and every one to do their role to end Violence against Women and girls. Together we can orange the world and end VAWG.

Teenage mothers tailoring classes

Skilling teenage mothers for Adaptation to COVID-19 effects in Kasese

In Uganda like elsewhere around the world, Covid-19 has led to an increase in teenage pregnancy. In order to gain basic necessities like sanitary towels, girls have engaged in negative coping mechanisms like transactional sex with men who took advantage of their need for money. Teenage pregnancies, among other factors is increasing the number of girls not in school. 98 million adolescent girls worldwide  were not in school before COVID yet an additional 20 million is projected to be added due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Kasese District in western Uganda ranks highly in the magnitude of early marriages and teenage pregnancies rooted within the cultural norms with research evidence revealing that 52% of women aged 18-67 had prior teenage pregnancy. The situation was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic lock down that led to the closure of schools.

Data from the District health, education and probation offices show that in July 2020, 2,372 school going girls conceived and 128 married off during the lock down in only 10 Districts, Kasese inclusive. This was partly attributed to the lockdown that created more redundant time for the learners, who ideally were supposed to be engrossed in the government’s e-learning program.

It is against this background that Gender-Environment and Development Action started the skilling programme for teenage mothers to equip them with life skills to help them function independently as adults and parents. The programme is targeting 10 groups of teenage mothers with a total membership of 300 in Kasese District Western Uganda.

The programme kicked off with training of 21 teenage mothers in menstrual hygiene management that focused on making of reusable sanitary pads. The 21 trainees are form from Kasese Municipal teenage mothers group that has a membership of 35 aged 14 – 20, all having babies aged 0-1 year.  This is an indication that all these conceived during the lockdown. The training in making of reusable sanitary pads was conducted by Ms.Kidima Margret of GEDA Uganda in Kidodo cell, Central Division, Kasese Municipality where the group members reside. The training was practical and by the end of the training session each participant was able to make 2 reusable sanitary pads.

During the training the young mothers in the their words appreciated Gender-Environment and Development Action for the work done and one of trainees aged  16 years had this to say “this skill is going to help me make my own pads for use and some for sale that will me help me buy soap and other small basic needs for my baby”, she however appealed to GEDA and other development partners to support them with more skills like tailoring, shoe making, knitting among others that will help  them generate income to take care of themselves and their babies. She further added that that given an opportunity, she would go back to school.

In attendance was the Community Development officer from Kasese Municipality who thanked GEDA-Uganda for the support and requested for more skilling trainings for the adolescent mothers. The training also integrated a module on the basic of GBV and VAC prevention and response. GEDA- Uganda Shared their tool free line number 0800100029 with the teenage mothers to report any cases of GBV and VAC and as well report any challenges that they service for timely response and referral.

There an urgent call for Government and other development partners to support life skilling for teenage mothers to help them function independently as adults and as parents to take good care of their children and as well be economically empowered to resist any further negative coping mechanism that lead to viscous cycle of teenage pregnancies, poverty and malnutrition.

GEDA has a comprehensive training manual for teenage mothers with modules on  self-realization, skilling,  psychosocial support, parenting, reproductive health,  nutrition for lactating and children below 5years , financial inclusion and protection for delivery of a comprehensive training package.

 

 

 

MenEngage in Menstrual hygiene management

Internally displaced men in Kasese District Western Uganda actively participated in making reusable sanitary pads for their wives and children following the adoption of the Men Engage approach by Gender Environment and Development Action Uganda(GEDA-Uganda).

Practical session in progress for the re-usable sanitary pads.

Whereas menstrual hygiene management is always viewed as a women and Girls’ issue, the internally displaced men and boys in Kanyangeya IDP camp in Kasese challenged this narrative by making reusable pads for their women and children during a training organized by GEDA-Uganda.

“My name is Muhindo Rabson commonly known as Kapiriri, I would like to thank GEDA-Uganda for training us in making reusable pads for our women that will improve on menstrual hygiene management and will reduce on our monthly expenditures on sanitary pads. The money saved will be used for other household basic needs……. Our shirts will also be spared since some of our wives have been improvising with pieces of cloth from our shirts due to lack of alternative sanitary pads. With this we will live healthy and peaceful with our wives in the camps”.  

10 Men and boys participated alongside 50 Women and girls that were able to make one complete reusable sanitary pad each by the end of the training bringing the total trained in making of reusable pads to 115 in internally displaced camps in Kasese District. The trained men and boys will be mentored by GEDA-Uganda as role model men and boys in menstrual hygiene management, reproductive health, GBV and VAC mitigation and Response in the IDP camps.

Men engaged in making re-usable sanitary pads during the training.

There is still a huge need for sanitary pads for women and girls of reproductive age in internally Displaced Person’s camps in Kasese District that calls for attention from Government, CSOs, Development partners and well-wishers.    The unmet needs for sanitary pads if not given attention may lead to bad coping mechanisms for women and girls like using any available materials as sanitary pads that may pose a health threat.

During the training, GEDA Uganda also created awareness on menstrual hygiene management and sexual and reproductive health for teenage girls and boys.

In addition, GEDA Uganda is also creating awareness on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Violence Against Children (VAC) prevention and response using awareness sessions in camps, radio talk shows, radio drama series on Guide radio-Kasese and is using it,s toll free line (0800100029) for response and referral for GBV, VAC, Sex and reproductive health.

Participants posing for a photo with GEDA staff at the end of the training.

Child labor is real in Kasese District

In 2018, Uganda made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, in partnership with the Kampala Capital City Authority, removed 283 children from the streets of Kampala and provided them with social services. The government initiated proceedings to harmonize legal provisions on minimum age to align with international standards. It also drafted a National Action Plan on Child Labor, which was approved in February 2019. However, children in Uganda engage in the worst forms of child labor in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also perform dangerous tasks in gold mining, carrying heavy luggage among others.

Probation officer, Child and family officer and GEDA Uganda staff in the the studios discussing child labor.

Child Labour denies fundamental human rights such as the right to education, right to rest and leisure and free from the country’s unfair working conditions.

Kasese District either has not been spared in as far as child labor is concerned. This was revealed during the radio talk show by GEDA Uganda on Kasese guide radio. The radio program unpacked child labor with different forms such as child trafficking, slavery, forced labour, sexual exploitation, pornographic performance and many more others.

It was also revealed that some of these acts are brought about by poverty, big family sizes, corruption, civil wars, rural urban migration and primitive traditional cultural practices.

Speaking during the same radio talk show, the police officer in charge of child and family kasese District revealed that atleast one child labor case is reported on a daily basis in Kasese and that Kasese municipality is leading in such cases followed by Hima Town council, Katwe-Kabatooro and Mpondwe-Lhubiriha TC in that order.

The District probation officer Kasese confirmed these reports during the same radio talk show saying that every year Kasese District records about 2500 cases saying they could be more than that adding the unreported cases. Several callers appreciated GEDA Uganda for the timely talk show and confirmed most of these child labor cases.

Previous talk show on the legal aspect of child labor and GBV

This program follows a previous one GEDA Uganda had conducted on the legal aspect of Violence Against Children (VAC) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) that was attended by Mr.Bwalhuma Isaac from the Uganda Christian lawyers Fraternity and the Officer in charge of child and family Kasese.

It is our responsibility to end violence against children, GEDA Uganda still calls upon all development actors in the fight against these vices. Together we can make it. Our toll free line is still open 0800100029 for any child and GBV related cases in your community.

GEDA- Uganda asked to embrace partnerships and explore innovative approaches for joint action against VAC and GBV in Kasese

Gender Environment and Development Action (GEDA –Uganda) has been asked to embrace partnerships for joint action against VAC and GBV. This message was delivered by Kasese District stakeholders at a scientific breakfast inception meeting organized by GEDA-Uganda to introduce the project titled; creating mass awareness to mitigate and respond to VAC and GBV during COVID-19 lock down in Kasese District with funding from Fr Roose Fund. The inception meeting attended by the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), the District Education Officer (DEO), Police in charge of Child and Family, GEDA-Uganda Board chairperson, the principal Community Development Officer – Kasese Municipality, UGANET, Rwenzori Women Forum, the District Probation Officer, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) among others made a strong appeal to GEDA_ Uganda to explore innovative approaches to mitigate and respond to Violence Against Children(VAC) and Gender Based violence(GBV).

This appeal comes at a time when Kasese and Uganda as a whole is experiencing a rise in VAC and GBV cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kasese District has one of highest child marriages in Uganda and the district has the youngest mother in the country at 11 years. VAC and GBV are notorious virus that require unique appraoch to achieve desired change in Kasese District; said the District Education Officer- Kasese District.  He noted that the partnership between GEDA-Uganda and Rwenzori women forum was key in the fight against VAC in Kasese District and Karangura Sub-county in Kabarole since the early marriage vice seemed common amongst the Bakonzo in the mountainous areas. Annet Kobusinge from UGANET  asked GEDA to involve the cultural institutions in its work to fight the negative traditional practices of marrying off young girls below 18 years of age in Kasese and pledged cooperation with GEDA in the implementation of the project activities since UGANET had similar activities.

 

The participants also noted with concern that men and boys have been left out in GBV programming and interventions yet they are equally affected.  In response Rev.Fr Dr. Paddy, the board chairperson GEDA- Uganda assured the participants that GEDA-Uganda was an action oriented and dynamic organization committed to delivering a holistic approach to mitigate and respond to Violence against Children, Women and girls, boys and men.

During the inception meeting GEDA-Uganda made presentation about the objectives of the project, the targeted beneficiaries, the plan activities and budget. The participants applauded GEDA- Uganda for organizing the inception meeting and pledged their commitment and support in the implementation of the project.

From the inception meeting actions were agreed upon and key among them were; integration of messages on mitigation and response to VAC in the teaching programs on radio during COVID-19 lock down for schools. GEDA was to follow up with the District Education officer. Jointly advocate for the integration of VAC and GBV mitigation and response in the work plans for the COVID- 19 task force and district disaster committee. In addition, Link with other partners to strengthen the existing referral path way and engage cultural and religious leaders in the fight against early marriages vice in Kasese District.