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Speaker Anita Annet Among has called for increased support for the boy child in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

She echoed this during plenary on Thursday, November 23.

This was during a debate on a statement that was tabled by State Minister for Culture Peace Regis Mutuuzo in commemoration of 16 day’ activism campaign against GBV celebrations due on November 24 in Bweyale, Kiryandongo.

The campaign is celebrated between November 25 and December 10 every year.  

Addressing the legislators, Among noted that whereas the gender equality fight has previously targeted women, it has negated men who equally face unique challenges on the sidelines.

She pointed out that this unequal approach has exposed men to abuse and dangerous lifestyles.

“The marginalized gender should not only be the women but it should be both the women and the men. The men are suffering in silence. So the boy child should be treated the same way you treat the girl child,” Among observed.  

She added, “If you don’t handle this boy child well this is the boy child who is coming to marry your daughter and you may not want a traumatized in law, the in law who is a thug, and that kind of thing.”

According to Andrew Ojok Oulanya (Omoro County, NRM) empowering the female gender should not mean disempowering the opposite sex.

“Overtime you have created a very disenfranchised boy child in terms of education, health care, and employment because if you look at affirmative action, especially in the political arena, you find a district where there are only women and very empowered women,” Oulanya argued.

Progress

The Global 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on 10th December which is Human Rights Day.

Crimes that constitute GBV include; domestic violence, sexual violence like rape and defilement, and psychological violence to mention but a few.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, Mutuuzo disclosed that due to innovative approaches her Ministry has taken over the years including rolling out a toll-free line, Sauti 116, and Safe Pal App, awareness has risen.

A case in point, she pointed out that reporting of GBV cases has increased from 39.5% in 2013 to 70% in 2021 and 43% apparently.

The other measures the Government has taken to stem these negative trends include enhancing access to the current 21 GBV shelters, psycho-social support, and prosecution of offenders.

According to the annual Police Crime Report of last year, 14,693 Sex-related crimes were reported to the Police, and 5,461 were taken to court.

Out of these, 942 cases were discontinued 8,290 are still under investigation and 224 cases have secured convictions.

Challenges

However, she implored Parliament to join root causes of this phenomenon which include but are not limited to child neglect that is fueling emotional violence, cyber harassment, poor parenting, and refugee influx

“About 1,791 cases (51.6% males and 45.3% and 3.1% others unknown major crimes reported on Child toll-free Sauti and handled at GBV centers in 2019 were cases of child abandonment and neglect,” she stated.

Concerning cyber harassment, Mutuuzo disclosed that a separate poll that was conducted discovered that “about 4,054 Ugandans (aged 15-24 years) across the country said they have been victims of online violence/cyberbullying. This has increased emotional violence, mental health, depression, and suicide cases.”  

MPs respond

Submitting on this subject, Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal (Dokolo Woman MP, FDC) pointed out that whereas the most affected group are rural women, for some reason, they have been left out of the 16 days against GBV campaign activities.

“They can also tell us what are the activities designed by Government and Local Government in addressing those strategic areas. I think it is high time Parliament got involved because we are treated to so many stories and lamentations but I think we want to make an impact. How can we address that disaster and change the life of that rural girl who is subjected to abuse every day?” Ogwal posed.

On her part, Joyce Acan (PWD Representative, NRM) called for increased surveillance saying a number of her constituents were suffering in silence.  

“We get so many cases of violence on persons with disabilities and these are categories of people who are unable to report these cases to Police because of the means of transport that they don’t have or the type of disabilities that they have. I would really love the Minister to speak to that category of people,” Acan pointed out.