MPs want time limits set for handling GBV cases
May 25, 2024
“Why should a domestic violence case take five years? It makes it impossible to settle the case and the victims suffer."
Female MPs and advocates for women and girl rights attending a gender-based violence training for MPs at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on May 24, 2024. (Photo by John Odyek)
John Odyek
Journalist @New Vision
____________________
Ugandan female Members of Parliament have raised concerns about delays in concluding lengthy cases of violence against girls and women.
Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi, who is also the chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, said taking too long to handle cases of domestic violence is unfair to the victims.
She, therefore, called for amendment of the laws that set the periods to conclude cases of domestic violence.
She mentioned this during a training on gender-based violence for MPs at Fairway Hotel on Friday.
Organized by the Centre For Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP), the workshop was aimed at strengthening knowledge on violence against women, including the root causes of the problem.
The training also discussed issues such as the mandate of legislators in addressing gender-based violence, their role in fast-tracking the pending Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law and allocating budgets for law implementation.
In her comments, Opendi proposed that the period within which to handle domestic violence should be set to six months.
“Why should a domestic violence case take five years? It makes it impossible to settle the case and the victims suffer."
She also said that cases of gender-based violence are not well investigated, pointing to inadequate facilitation of institutions tasked with conducting such investigations.
Opendi said the Sexual Offences Bill, 2019 is expected to be tabled in the next session of Parliament and passed.
Other sticking issues were discussed during the engagement.
For instance, Terego West County MP Joel Leku felt that the minimum age for marriage (of 18 years) for especially girls should be revised.
He argued a married teenage girl cannot take good care of a home.
In this context, Leku proposed that the minimum age be lifted to 21 years, a time when a girl has completed her education either at university or vocational training.
But Terego East County legislator Rose Obigah believes this would be impractical.
“You will not find any girls after 18 years waiting to get married, especially in rural areas. Ugandan laws were borrowed from India and Britain and did not look at Uganda’s cultural practices," he said.
"We need a mindset change about sex. You find young girls on the roadside with boys and when you caution them they tell you to mind your daughters."
CEDOVIP wants the Cabinet to approve bills that promote gender equality to protect women and girls.
The centre also wants sufficient resources provided to support the implementation of policies and laws that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
It also raised concern about cutting the budget of the gender ministry, saying this may affect implementing activities that protect the rights of women and girls.
According to the Police Crime Report of 2023, cases of domestic violence were recorded at 14,681.
No Comment