Remarks at High-Level Symposium on Sexual Gender Based Violence in Uganda

Hon. Chairperson, Uganda Human Rights Commission

Honourable Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament, and other Government Representatives

The Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament

Honourable Justices of the Courts in Uganda

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Missions

Representatives from Civil Society Organisations, Private Sector, Academia, Traditional and Religious Leaders, Media

UN Heads of Agencies

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All protocol observed.

On behalf of the United Nations family in Uganda, I am honoured to join you today for the high-level symposium on ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Uganda. Today we commemorate the International Human Rights Day which marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender Based Violence. This year’s theme has been: “UNiTE! Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” - which has focused on the need for all of us to push forward - act now to end violence against women and girls in Uganda.

It has been an incredible 16 Days. During this 16 Days of Activism campaign, we have seen Uganda’s leaders using their platforms to amplify the voices for women and girls across the country, calling for change. The Speaker of Parliament and other members of the Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association have ‘oranged’ Parliament – both literally and in leading the Members of Parliament in a high-level dialogue on ending GBV.  We have seen church leaders, including the Church of Uganda, holding services and prayers of solidarity to end GBV and calling on faith leaders and all key stakeholders to renew their commitment to ending violence against women and girls. Parades and concerts, skits and dramas, dialogue and truth-telling have been taking place across Uganda in public and private spaces. This energy must be sustained. 

Gender-based violence is one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally, with immediate and long-term consequences for its victims, communities, and society as a whole.  It is overstretching our systems. Healthcare providers, police, judiciary, and frontline responders are overstretched.  

Over the last 16 days - and also from my fellow speakers today – we hear the figures for violence in Uganda. They are too high. In 2021 alone the Uganda Police Force received over 16,000 reports of sex-related offences – this translates to one report every 30 minutes. The majority of reported cases were perpetrated against young women and girls . And these were just the cases reported – we know that the majority of sexual and gender-based violence crimes go unreported and women and girls suffer in silence.

Violence is denying women and girls their basic rights and freedoms, it is limiting their participation in all areas of life, and – beyond individuals – it is affecting us all by hindering economic growth and development – which given the rising global challenges of today, we really cannot afford.  

It doesn’t have limits. It transcends socio-economic, cultural, religious and other boundaries.  And for too many women and girls in Uganda, the threat looms largest where they should be safest - in their own homes.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Violence does not need to be the status quo.

There is a growing body of rigorously tested interventions that demonstrate that violence against women and girls is not inevitable – it can be prevented. 

But it requires commitment from all of us and self-reflection - how are we as individuals and institutions using our power? Are we using the spaces we are in to be part of the solution?

Globally and in Uganda, the interventions with the most positive results use multiple and well-integrated approaches, engage with multiple stakeholders across the socio-ecological model, over time, and address the underlying risk factors of violence.

Some of the most effective primary prevention models come from Africa.  Let’s build on what we know works.

Uganda has been a global leader in developing evidence-based and whole-of-society approaches to addressing harmful gender norms and stereotypes that perpetuate violence and inequality – one example is the SASA! methodology. This has been proven to significantly reduce intimate partner violence.  We need to meaningfully invest in scaling these types of models, reaching more communities with long-term financing to affect real social norm change.

Looking at the evidence, what else can we do?

Over the years we have been working on system strengthening. I believe we should continue doing that and advocating for it further. For instance, ending violence against women and girls cannot be achieved without working in an integrated and well-coordinated manner across sectors.  

This includes effective systems and coordination to collect and analyze quality data. Data is crucial to an evidence-based approach to violence against women and girls. We have made progress in collecting data - however this needs to be more systematic. And as the UN we have prioritized this in our Joint Flagship area on Data.  

Over the years we have also increasingly begun responding in a victim-centered way. And we should continue.  We need to be done with the days of victim blaming and shaming. Every time a woman speaks up about her experience of sexual violence and she’s not believed, the cycle of abuse continues.

Every time you hear a survivor’s story, we should all orient ourselves to 1-Listen. 2-Believe. 3-Support.

And this especially applies to those of us at the frontline. How women and girls are received can impact the quality of services they receive and access to justice, which is key to ending impunity. The reception they receive can also be an incentive, or disincentive if mishandled, for future victims to come forward.

I hope that many of you were able to engage with the “What I was wearing” exhibition during these 16 Days of Activism, which is again on display today. This is challenging us all to face the false belief that clothing contributes to sexual assault, and brings me to my last point.

We need to foster activism in our communities, organisations, and institutions by encouraging a “speak up culture.”

To speak up when we see sexual harassment – call out misogyny and abusive practices.

Speak up when we know our neighbor is abusing his wife or child.

Speak up for victims of sexual violence – guiding them to medical, psychosocial, or other support services.

Speak up and hold institutions to account when we see systematic violations of the human rights of women and girls.

Speak up when legislation comes before us that perpetuates stereotypes and inequalities, or when budgets don’t match our rhetoric or values. 

We have power – it’s about how we choose to use it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The United Nations in Uganda has prioritized a holistic approach to eliminating violence against women and girls as articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021 - 2025. We have made progress through joint programmes such as the Spotlight Initiative and Joint Programme on GBV and SRHR, amongst others.

We stand ready to continue this joint work with our partners in support of the efforts of the Government, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, civil society and other actors pushing to end this gross violation of the rights of women and girls in Uganda.

I look forward to the outcome of today’s discussions.