Peace actors call for inclusion of women and youth In peacebuilding efforts

As part of the commemoration of the 2020 International Day of Peace on September 21, UN Women organized a media dialogue under the theme “Shaping Peace Together”. The media dialogue broadcast live on NBS Television included panelists from different sectors including government ministries, departments, agencies, UN, women led organizations and civil society.

While opening the dialogue, Ms. Adekemi Ndieli, the deputy country representative UN Women Uganda observed that while Uganda is relatively peaceful, there are incidents of human rights violations that often lay the foundation for future conflicts when unaddressed, which calls for joint efforts to prevent escalation of violence.

Uganda has had a history of conflict and violence since attaining independence in 1962. While there has been relative peace in the last decade, violent conflicts still continue to affect some parts of the country, and the underlying causes of past conflicts remain unresolved. With Uganda preparing to hold general elections in 2021, the need to dialogue on peace and conflict prevention is paramount since elections in Uganda often lead to anxiety, tensions and violence before, during and after the elections.

The deputy chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Hajjat Aisha Lubega noted that without peace in the electoral cycle, we cannot have a successful election. She further stated that as a commission they are encouraging women to be part of the electoral tribunals and polling agents to reduce cases of violence. Women constitute 52% of the registered voters in Uganda, and their involvement in the electoral process is vital to a successful election.

The call for a peaceful election was further re-echoed by Commissioner Mike Mabonga from Ministry of Défense and Veteran Affairs noting that “we all have to harness the efforts of everybody to ensure that we jealously guard the peace that we have now and, in the future,”.

Ms. Racheal Wanyana, the Policy and Advocacy Lead at Uganda Womens’ Network (UWONET) sounded the “need for young people to be treated as a critical force in building lasting peace not as perpetrators of violence”. She further noted that youth participation should not be limited to representation but should examine and recognize what they are doing in peace building.

Ms. Hellen Onzie Nwoha called on all actors not to “wait for conflicts to occur to build peace but rather support building of early warning systems to identify early signs of conflict so that violence can be averted. Some of these systems include the Women Situation Room that monitors early signs of violence before, during and after elections to ensure that the situation does not escalate into violence.

Despite efforts by different actors to eliminate all forms of violence especially against women and girls in Uganda, cases of violence especially gender-based violence are still high. This was acknowledged by the Commissioner for Gender and Women Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Ms. Angela Nakafero, who noted that bringing women’s role in peacebuilding is critical. This effort has however been impacted by financing challenges around implementation of the National Action Plan I and II whose focus was improving peace and security.

The UN Women Deputy Country Representative Ms. Adekemi Ndieli called for dedicated resources for Women, Peace and Security especially for civil society advocates in this area, addressing of institutionalized discrimination and gender bias, resistance and attitudinal barriers which hinder women’s meaningful participation in peace building.

The International Day of Peace is celebrated every year on 21st September. For 2020, the UN General Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.