Victims of gender based violence to get free legal services

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Victims of gender based violence will for the next 16 days get free legal aid services from the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in different parts of the country.

The aim is to bring legal services closer to the victims who in most cases fear to get legal redress due to various reasons including lack of finances, long distances to legal aid areas.

 According to Lilian Kobusingye, the programme officer at FIDA Uganda, they started the campaign by launching what they call Family Justice Desks where legal Officers will be deployed in selected areas to offer free legal services to the community especially the most vulnerable.

FIDA legal volunteers engage women in the market

Kobusingye explained that FIDA Uganda in partnership with Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) 

DGF is implementing the enhancing access to justice for women and children project in Kampala, Lwengo, Kapchorwa, Kabale, Kamuli, Mbale and Arua districts.

 "The overall objective of the project is to strengthen access to substantive justice through integrated intervention for the vulnerable and indigent person's empowerment in order to bring legal services closer to the beneficiaries," explained Kobusingye.

According to her, the initiative is part of activities to mark the 16 days of activism against gender based violence, will increase protection of women's rights and enhance gender equality through addressing the root causes of vulnerability and powerlessness of women

She added that they have already set up family justice desks in four areas of Kasangati, Nsangi, Nabweru and Nebbi. These will be set up at the courts so as to ensure women who require legal assistance at the courts easily access the services of FIDA Uganda.

The desks will be run by volunteers of FIDA Uganda. These family justice desks will ensure that women and children at the courts are able to access justice or services of a lawyer who will be able to give them legal assistance and advise on how to proceed with their matters," she added.

Commenting on the initiative, market vendors said it will give them room to report in time incidences of gender-based violence affecting community members.

Annet Nakanwagi, one of the ladies who visited one of the desks in Kasangati added that most women still fear to come out and accuse their husbands of sexual violence.

"Like in my culture that is Buganda, there are issues we don't speak about in the open like rape in marriage which is also considered as a form of sexual violence so if this initiative continues, more women will be assisted," said Nakanwagi.