Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV,) cases have increased during the  COVID- 19  pandemic period a human rights defendant has said.

Dr. Zahara Nampewo the Executive Director of  Human Rights and Peace centre (HURIPEC) says that incest, rape defilement  and marital rape are on the increase since Covid affected the country and the world at large.

She said that this was because children were at home instead of being at school and men were at home with their wives full time which kept them idle. As the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

(L- R) Hassan Shire Executive Director   Defend Defenders, Executive Director  Human Rights Centre  Uganda Margaret Sekagya and  Executive Director  KCCA Dorothy Kisaka

 According to police reports defilement cases in 2019 were  13,000 cases and in 2020  the number rose to 17,000 cases.

This means that much sensitiSation about sexual and gender-based violence must be done to reach out to both women and men to promote the use of the law.

SGBV   is criminal and it starts from home.  The way you treat your house managers, other people and how you behave shows your children which character they will have in future’’ Nampewo said.

Some of the participants  who attended the 4th Women human rights defenders conference

She said this while presenting a paper on sexual and gender-based violence( SGBV)  at the 4^th Women human rights defenders conference held at Golf course hotel  Kampala recently.

The Executive Director of  Human rights Centre Uganda Margaret Sekagya said COVID- 19 affected the country in a way that will be felt for many years which is a challenge.

“Many  people have lost jobs and children haven’t gone to school for two years now . This means as people we should have  an action plan to  restore  our  lives  by  forging  a way forward of  how we can go on with our lives”, Sekagya said