Clerics told to lead fight on gender-based violence

Sep 11, 2012

Religious leaders can help control sexual and gender-based violence in local communities, Simone Knapp, a legal officer in the Austrian embassy, has said.


 By George Bita and Saudha Nakandha

Religious leaders can help control sexual and gender-based violence in local communities, Simone Knapp, a legal officer in the Austrian embassy, has said.

She said people across the religious divides trust religious leaders whom they often run to in time of social upheavals. This, he said, puts the clerics in a better position in the fight against the vice.

“A wife beaten by her husband may most likely confide in the local Imam or Canon be­fore considering an LC court because courts may take ages to decide as they seek concrete evidence,” she said.

Knapp said for the sake of harmonious ex­istence in the family, affected couples usually prefer arbitration by a religious leader behind closed doors as opposed to washing dirty linen in a public court.

She was speaking during a one-day work­shop organised by the Muslim Centre for Justice and Law at Mwana Highway Hotel in Iganga town recently.

The workshop was attended by over 20 fe­male and male Muslim leaders from Iganga, Namutumba, Luuka and Mayuge districts.

Madina Naigaga, the Mayuge district Mus­lim women leader (Amirat), implored Imams to ensure that Koranic verses compelling men to be respectful of their wives are emphasised during prayer sessions.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});