KAMPALA – The Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) recently commissioned a study titled “Budgeting for Peace” to investigate how the Government of Uganda plans and budgets for interventions aimed at preventing and managing Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG). The study analyzed funding patterns in various sectors, including Justice Law and Order, Education, and Social Development, as well as local government levels in six districts: Busia, Gulu, Kotido, Luweero, Lyantonde, and Masindi.
The study’s findings are alarming. The Uganda Violence Against Women and Girls Survey 2020 revealed that 45% of women experience intimate partner physical violence, with 16% reporting severe violence. Sexual violence stands at 36%, with forced sexual intercourse being the most common. Furthermore, 55% of ever-partnered women experienced emotional abuse.
Patricia Munabi Babiiha, the Executive Director of FOWODE, emphasized the urgency of addressing VAWG. “When we talk about peace, we do so with the full realization that peace means different things to different people,” she said. “For many women, peace means a life free of violence, where the bodily integrity of both women and girls is respected.”
Babiiha highlighted the stark reality of VAWG in Uganda, citing statistics from the annual crime report and independent research. “113 women and 14 girls lost their lives last year alone as a result of aggravated domestic violence,” she said. “In the same year, 13,144 young citizens were reported defiled. Of those, 985 were female. 1,577 were raped. 99% of those were women. And over 15,300 sex-related crimes were reported, with 97 of these being women and girls.”
Dr. Miria Matembe, a renowned human rights activist, also emphasized the need for immediate action to address VAWG. “We must worry and must be concerned about the futures that are robbed from these women and girls, about the terror of the survivors and about the costs, financial, emotional, and psychological, faced by these individuals and their immediate families and the society at large,” she said.
Dr. Matembe attributed the persistence of VAWG to entrenched gender stereotypes and negative social cultural norms, continuing barriers for women, especially in realizing their economic rights. She also highlighted the weaknesses in Uganda’s legal and judicial systems, which limit women’s access to justice.
The study also found that despite the inclusion of objectives in key national documents, such as the Third National Development Plan, there has been little shift in funding to address this crisis. “The Community Mobilization and Mindset Change Program, which sits with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, has experienced an alarming over 90% funding gap throughout NDP3,” Babiiha said.
Babiiha called on all stakeholders, including government leaders, development partners, civil society organizations, and communities, to prioritize the elimination of VAWG through increased sensitization and inclusion of VAWG in planning and budgeting.
Dr. Matembe emphasized the need for concrete actions to address VAWG, including the establishment of specified budget ceilings and codes to track all resources and expenses for gender-based violence in government work plans.
“We must intentionally focus, in terms of budgeting, on these issues and matters that will deal with the evil of gender-based violence,” Dr. Matembe said.
FOWODE’s “Budgeting for Peace 2” study is a call to action for all stakeholders to work together to address the pervasive issue of VAWG in Uganda. By prioritizing the elimination of VAWG, we can create a safer, more dignified, and more equitable society for all.
The study’s findings and recommendations were presented during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign to raise awareness and mobilize action to end violence against women and girls.
FOWODE’s Executive Director, Patricia Munabi Babiiha, concluded the event by calling on all stakeholders to take concrete actions to address VAWG. “We must work together to create a society where all women and girls can live free from violence and fear,” she said. “We owe it to ourselves, our daughters, and our sisters to take action and demand change.”
To address these challenges, the study provides several key recommendations, including:
- Creating a budget code for VAWG/GBV: The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFPED) should create a budget code for VAWG/GBV to track government expenditure on VAWG.
- Strengthening multi-sectoral coordination: The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) should strengthen multi-sectoral and multi-partner coordination for VAWG prevention and response.
- Investing in mindset change: MGLSD, in collaboration with other stakeholders, should invest in mindset change through existing structures for addressing VAWG.
- Building capacity of VAWG service providers: MGLSD, CSOs, and Development Partners should work in coordination to build the capacity of VAWG service providers to improve standards, ethics, and respect for human rights and safety of survivors, among others.
