{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM {---Series two-Hundred and eighteen}

Friends

 

There are unequal power relations between women and men, endemic household poverty and negative attitudes towards the women. An unfavorable patriarchal culture promoting male dominance, early and forced marriages, violent initiation rites and practices such as wife battering, murder of wives/husbands, child labour, family neglect, burning with hot water or cooking oil, women cutting men's sex organs, insults and use of abusive languages, use of threatening words, threatening to divorce, denial of conjugal rights, rape, defilements, denial of properties and property grabbing from widows and orphans. The use of corporal punishments as acceptable means of instilling discipline in women and children also exacerbates the problem and limits the women and girl's competence to protect and defend themselves against the aggressors.

 

Such powerful statements are not of  EM but of John Bosco Okello Okello, the Dokolo District Chair-person that just got fade up with violence in Dokolo district especially in Agwata and Kwera sub counties. Friends there are ways we can treat this problem and I beseech all of you to agree that we put our heads together to {a} find a solution to this kind of violence but {b} push our governors to write stringent laws to deal with people that are entrenched into this violence, so that we as a Ugandans that have not decided to be this violent can remain safe from them. This is a part of the Dokolo district plan to address gender based violence.

 

Ugandans we need to address the Acholi/Langi violence candidly.

 

Foreword

Gender Based Violence (GBV) is violence that is directed against a person on the basis of gender or sex. GBV

includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other

deprivation of liberty (CEDAW 1994). Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family

including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, rape, defilement,

early and forced marriage constitute forms of Gender Based Violence.

GBV is largely rooted in unequal power relations and abuse of power coupled with the low status accorded to

women in general. Dokolo District Local Government has developed the GBV District Action Plan to respond

to the challenges posed by Gender Based Violence in the district.

In every community, there are people who are always affected by acts of violence, brutality and abuses.

Some of the abuses are committed behind closed doors in the confines of one's home and these often remain

unreported, unnoticed and completely hidden, and sometimes they are accepted as a normal way of life. This

kind of situation can not be allowed to continue.

Gender Based Violence is a violation of human rights as it perpetuates the stereotyping of gender roles that

denies human dignity and hinders human development. GBV is most prevalent in an environment where there

is general lack of respect for human rights and Dokolo District Local Government would like to correct such

a situation.

Dokolo District Local Government with assistance and facilitation from the Centre for Women in Governance

(CEWIGO) has developed this District action plan on GBV to respond to rampant cases of Gender Based

Violence in the district.

The development of the district action plan began with the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU)

between CEWIGO and Dokolo District Local Government. This made way for a two day capacity building

workshop which was conducted by CEWIGO and then identification and constitution of a District Task Force

to formulate the District Action Plan (DAP).

This District Action Plan spells out the district objectives and strategies to tackle the problem of GBV, and

reflects the District's commitment to achieve a society where respect for human rights of both men and women:

boys and girls is taken seriously. Dokolo district will therefore ensure that GBV is addressed right from the

homes.

 

Background to the District Action Plan on

Gender Based Violence

Dokolo district experiences a high rate of Gender

Based Violence as evidenced by the number

of cases reported to the police and probation

offices. According to reports from the police department,

from January to March 2012 alone, 51 cases of

defilement were recorded, 20 cases of assault, 36

cases of domestic violence, 5 cases of rape, 3 cases

of murder, 4 cases of arson and 47 cases of child

neglect. These are just the few cases that were

reported as many more cases remain unreported.

Similar cases of child neglect are also handled by

the Probation and Welfare Office in the district.

Having experienced civil war in Northern Uganda,

the population of Dokolo is now experiencing

high rates of domestic violence, defilement,

physical violence, psychological violence, sexual

abuse, especially against women and girls. Sexual

and gender based violence is a violation of human

rights. It perpetuates the stereotyping of gender

roles that deny human dignity of individuals.

 

The Centre for Women in Governance (CEWIGO)

a non-governmental organization that coordinates

civil society monitoring of the implementation of

UNSCR 1325, 1820 and the Goma Declaration

of the States of the Great Lakes Region signed

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with

Dokolo District Local Government to develop

and implement strategies aimed at ending Gender

Based Violence in the district

 

The District Action Plan (DAP) on Gender Based

Violence is therefore a result of the memorandum

of understanding signed between CEWIGO and

Dokolo District Local Government. The MoU

is aimed at ending violence against women by

implementing the provisions of the Uganda

National Action Plan for UNSCR 1325, 1820 and

the Goma Declaration.

 

The two parties aimed at implementing a pilot

project between December 2011 and November

2012 geared towards developing a district action

to combat plan in Dokolo District. Gender Based

Violence is still a major

development challenge in Dokolo District. There

are unequal power relations between women and

men, endemic household poverty and negative

attitudes towards the women. An unfavorable

patriarchal culture promoting male dominance,

early and forced marriages, violent initiation rites

and practices such as wife battering, murder of

wives/husbands, child labour, family neglect,

burning with hot water or cooking oil, women

cutting men's sex organs, insults and use of

abusive languages, use of threatening words,

threatening to divorce, denial of conjugal rights,

rape, defilements, denial of properties and

property grabbing from widows and orphans.

The use of corporal punishments as acceptable

means of instilling discipline in women and

children also exacerbates the problem and limits

the women and girl's competence to protect and

defend themselves against the aggressors.

 

Some of the causes of GBV in Dokolo District

include high alcohol consumption in the district,

poverty and limited engagement of the youth

in productive ventures. Community resilience

mechanisms that protect women and children

from GBV and promote the values of intolerance

to GBV are still inadequate in many communities

in Dokolo district. There is need to empower

the women and the girl child economically and

providing opportunity to attain education

Access to and up take of high quality and childfriendly

GBV response services is still inadequate

in all communities. There is need to strengthen

the local council system especially the secretary

for children's affairs in every local council so

that they are empowered to play their roles as per

the Children's Act Cap 59. Child participation,

child rights clubs in schools, youth friendly

facilities in community centres where messages

on reproductive health can be passed on to them

need to be put in place and strengthened.

The efforts of civil society organizations Local

Governments and other actors, are not adequately

coordinated providing little room for learning,

documenting and sharing viable and sustainable

solutions to GBV prevention and response.

 

District Response:

The district has formulated 3 ordinances on

access to formal education, child protection

and alcohol consumption. The ordinance on

child protection was submitted to the Attorney

General for review and approval, and this has

been successfully done. The ordinance on equal

opportunities in education was approved by both

the Attorney General and the District council and

is now ready for implementation, while that on

alcohol consumption is still with the Attorney

General and is awaiting approval.

The District Community Development Office,

through its routine programs, continues to

sensitize communities on issues of child abuse,

child labour, and child neglect; family desertion

& domestic violence.

The district conducts the coordination of all GBV

actors in the district. However this needs to be

strengthened and where possible other actors on

GBV programs should be attracted to the district

to support the GBV initiatives.

 

Stay in the forum for Series two hundred and nineteen on the way   ------>

 

 

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"