Land disputes fuel domestic violence

Jul 02, 2014

Land wrangles are fueling domestic violence in Kabale.

By Patrick Jaramogi and Ronnie Kijjambu                      

Land wrangles are fueling domestic violence in Kabale district, the District Police commander, Bosco Arop has disclosed.


Arop said 80 percent of the death registered in the district is attributed to sexual gender based violence (SGBV) related issues.

He pointed out that the rampant killings are commonly in rural areas where land wrangles are rampant.

He however, declined to give statistics saying police was computing the figures.

“Most affected areas are Muko, Kashambya Buhinda and Kamwezi sub counties where deaths have been reported as a result of SGBV,” he said.

Arop who was addressing participants during a two-day exchange learning visit by Men engage project from Rakai and Busia to Kabale district recently emphasized the need for gender emancipation if domestic violence is to be curbed in the district.

The Men engage project is a component of the East African Sub-region Support Initiative for the Empowerment of Women (EASSI) funded by the Netherlands Government.

The pilot project geared towards curbing gender based violence in households is being implemented in the three boarder districts of Rakai, Busia and Kabale.

Under the project, men are recruited to sensitize their fellow men about the dangers of SGBV.

“I appeal to NGOs to come up with projects that will alleviate these communities from poverty which forces them to sell off their land leading to disagreements,” said Arop.

He warned the men against alcohol saying it fuels domestic violence.

Kabale Resident district Commissioner, Kabale, Deus Nabimanya observed the need to empower the communities to understand gender quality.

“Men still have stereotype that women cannot  perform better than them despite the fact that some women have proved powerful like the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, Jennifer Musisi (KCCA boss).

He said the female youth are vulnerable to sexual harassment by their male bosses.

The EASSI Men engage project coordinator, Eric Tumwesigye said through the empowerment, the over 90 men trained from the three districts of Busia, Rakai and Kabale had sensitized the community about the dangers of SGBV.

“There is a change in the communities where we have reached with reports of SGBV reducing as men are beginning to appreciate that their wives can support them to increase incomes in the households,” he said.



 

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