Women leaders push for stronger systems to protect sexual violence survivors
“Sexual violence against children remains one of the most serious violations of human rights. Our responsibility as governments and partners is to build systems that allow survivors, especially girls, to safely disclose abuse and receive the protection and care they need,” Babalanda said.
Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, who welcomed participants at the meeting, said governments must move beyond policy declarations and ensure practical interventions that enable survivors to report abuse and receive timely support. (New Vision/Files)
Women’s rights activists and government leaders have called for stronger protection systems and early identification mechanisms to support survivors of sexual violence, particularly girls living in humanitarian settings.
The call was made on March 13, 2026, during a side event at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New York, where Uganda and Ethiopia jointly hosted a discussion on innovative responses to sexual violence affecting children and adolescents in refugee communities.
The event, organised in partnership with the Population Council and the Baobab Research Programme Consortium, focused on a new screening innovation aimed at improving access to care for girl survivors of sexual violence in humanitarian and development contexts across the East and Horn of Africa.
Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, who welcomed participants at the meeting, said governments must move beyond policy declarations and ensure practical interventions that enable survivors to report abuse and receive timely support.
“Sexual violence against children remains one of the most serious violations of human rights. Our responsibility as governments and partners is to build systems that allow survivors, especially girls, to safely disclose abuse and receive the protection and care they need,” Babalanda said.
She commended the collaboration between governments, researchers and humanitarian organisations working to address sexual violence against children in refugee settlements.
Uganda hosts more than 1.6 million refugees, making it one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world.
Many displaced families live in settlements where access to protection services remains limited.
Evidence presented at the meeting showed that violence against children remains widespread in humanitarian settings. A 2022 survey conducted in refugee settlements in Uganda found that nearly half of young adults reported experiencing some form of violence before the age of 18.
Researchers noted that despite the high prevalence of abuse, many survivors do not disclose their experiences or seek help.
To address this gap, Uganda has been piloting a school-based sexual violence screening intervention delivered by trained para-social workers in refugee settlements.
According to the Population Council, the initiative significantly improved the identification of survivors. In one pilot intervention, 653 cases of sexual violence were identified within five months compared to just 16 cases detected through conventional reporting mechanisms in the previous year.
Babalanda said the innovation demonstrates how evidence-based programmes can strengthen child protection systems and ensure survivors are linked to health, psychosocial and legal services.
“Innovative approaches such as proactive screening in schools can help us detect abuse early and ensure survivors are connected to care and protection services,” she said.
Participants at the event included gender and labour minister Betty Amongi Ongom, Flavia Kabahenda, the chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development, and senior government officials, humanitarian agencies, researchers and civil society organisations.
Representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Baobab Research Programme Consortium reaffirmed their commitment to supporting evidence-based strategies aimed at strengthening protection systems for vulnerable children.
Delegates agreed on the need to expand screening programmes, strengthen community-based protection structures and ensure survivors, particularly girls in refugee settings, can safely disclose abuse and access timely care and support.
Experts also highlighted practical lessons from Uganda and Ethiopia on implementing screening interventions in refugee settlements, noting that schools can serve as safe entry points for identifying survivors and linking them to support services.
Babalanda urged regional governments and partners to sustain collaboration in addressing sexual violence.
“Protecting children from violence requires coordinated action from governments, communities, and humanitarian partners. Together, we must ensure that no child suffers in silence,” she said.