Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has asked Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and other related players to take the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) outside conference and air-conditioned rooms.

Tayebwa says most of the GBV cases are happening in upcountry communities.

"Most of the cases we hear about are happening down in the villages where women and girls are not empowered to report,” Tayebwa says.

"As a young boy, I witnessed a lot of GBV in my village," he adds.

Tayebwa was presiding over a high-level dialogue meeting organised by the Uganda Parliamentary Women Association (UWOPA).

Refocus needed 

He also asked sector players to refocus and find the drivers of GBV.

"GBV cases are high upcountry mainly, I think it's due to low levels of education, poverty, alcohol and primitive beliefs that a man is above a woman even when a woman is feeding a man," he said.

Tayebwa committed that Parliament would continue deliberate action in supporting UWOPA in their campaign to end violence towards girls and women.

Tackle causes of gender inequality 

Swedish ambassador to Uganda Maria Hakansson said GBV not only affects the individual victims, but also the development of the country.

Hakansson, who also represented the European Union in Uganda at the event, said the majority of Ugandan women are still denied the right to make decisions.

"To address GBV, we need to lay back and tackle the root causes of gender inequality. If we don't address the root cause of violence, our efforts to eliminate it will be significantly less effective," she said.

Sarah Mateke, the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, called for a revamp in strategies to end GBV and other violations.

"GBV is a reality in our society and as members, I request that we unite so that we can end this," Mateke stated.

"This form of abuse thrives on an absence of funding, proper legislation and a lack of investigative expertise among Ugandan law enforcement officers," Sarah Opendi, the UWOPA chairperson, said. 

Opendi also asked the Government to construct a safe place for GBV victims at least in every region of Uganda.

"It's Parliament's responsibility to appropriate funds. As some of the women and girls seek justice, they have nowhere to run as they try to pursue their cases," Opendi said, adding that it can't be CSO's role to shelter victims of GBV.