Campaign to end violence against women launched

Jun 01, 2017

The campaign will be implemented under the theme “Make Happiness Not Violence”.

A new campaign geared towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls has been launched.

The two-year campaign targeting girls and women aged 15-30 will be implemented by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) in partnership with UN Women in seven districts of  Kampala, Kamuli, Kitgum, Kaboong, Gulu, Padel and Moroto.

 ustice avid atema singing to commit to the end of violence against women and girls campaign Justice David Batema singing, to commit to the end of violence against women and girls campaign

 
About U$ 300,000(sh1b) has been invested into the campaign by the Swedish government to enable the implementers of the project create awareness about both consequences of violence and the right to live a life free from violence.

The campaign will be implemented under the theme "Make Happiness Not Violence".

Giving a key note address during the launch held at hotel African on Wednesday, the High Court judge, Justice David Batema said the reason violence against women and girls has persisted for so long in society is because there is tolerance and acceptance of perpetrators of the vice, in addition to culture of silence.

  omen epresentative ary kumu interacts with wedish ambassador to ganda per indgarde at the launch UN Women Representative Mary Okumu interacts with Swedish ambassador to Uganda Per Lindgarde at the launch.

 
"Violence against anyone is wrong, but the biggest part of our society believes it is okay to beat a woman or a girl child. No, it is not okay, men use violence to maintain the status quo," he said.

"Violence has both physical and psychological impact on an individual. That is why religious, cultural, local leaders need to work together to root out this acceptance of violence in our societies," he added.

He advised the team implementing the project to design materials and translate them into a language the target audience understands to be able to create an impact.

The project executive director, CDFU, Anne Gamurorwa said in this campaign, couples that are living peacefully in successful marriages especially men will drive the campaign.

"We shall be working with them to tell people the benefits of having non-violent relationships and marriages, so that we create admiration for such couples, thus encouraging others to do the same," she said.

The UN Women country representative, Mary Okumu said beating any human being regardless of their gender, is the most humiliating thing, it makes someone feel so small, useless, enrages one, which breeds violence generation to generation.

She called each and every Ugandan to say no to cultures that perpetrate violence because they are not good; adding that any form of violence is a violation of human rights.

 mbassador of weden to ganda er indgarde interacts with uropean nion mbassador to ganda ristian chmidt the launch Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda Per Lindgarde interacts with European Union Ambassador to Uganda Kristian Schmidt the launch.

 
The Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda, Per Lindgarde said in order to decrease and eventually end gender-based violence, a paradigm shift is needed.

He noted that this entrails a focus on the root causes of violence founded on gender based power inequalities and gender-based discrimination.

Lindgarde said if the campaign can change mind-sets and create awareness about both consequences of violence and the right to live a life free from violence; it will be an important step in the right direction.

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