Action 4 Health Uganda hosted the Eastern and Southern Regional Youth Leaders Symposium on GBV Shelter Policy and Sustainability, organized by YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa and YALI Africa. The symposium’s theme was “Breaking Barriers: Integrating SRHR, GBV Care, and Mental Health Access in ESA Shelters for Lasting Impact.”
The one-day event, part of the #YALI16DaysofActivism campaign, aimed to unite youth leaders, policymakers, and key stakeholders from across the region for impactful discussions and policy advocacy. The symposium served as a crucial platform to address the intersection of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) care, and mental health services in shelters across Eastern and Southern Africa, striving for lasting change in policies and services.
Youth leaders from the Busia Youth Empowerment Centre, Kampala Youth Empowerment Centre, Tororo Youth Empowerment Centre, and Mityana Youth Empowerment Centre participated in a highlight panel. They shared valuable insights on the GBV issues in their respective districts, highlighting what has been done to address the problem and proposing actions stakeholders can take to improve support for survivors.
The issue of Disco Matanga, a cultural practice in Uganda’s border districts of Busia and Tororo, was key during the youth discussion. Dorcas Nanyonga from Busia Youth Empowerment Centre shared, “We have been conducting advocacy campaigns against Disco Matanga, but we still need partners to join us as this is a continuous endeavor. We must do this to protect the young girls and women in Busia District.”
Reagan Kulubya from Kampala Youth Empowerment Centre remarked, “I realize that as a man, my voice matters in speaking up against gender-based violence. We need to protect the rights of the young women and girls protected against GBV.”
In her opening remarks, the CEO of Action 4 Health Uganda emphasized, “Let’s continue to amplify victim voices and work towards a world where everyone can live a life free from violence.”
USAID Uganda Mission Director Daniele Nyirandutiye also spoke, underscoring the gravity of GBV, stating, “GBV is a serious issue that affects families, societies, and communities. Ask yourself, ‘What am I doing as an individual to end GBV?'”
From a religious leader’s perspective, Reverend Nathan Mugalu shared, “GBV is everybody’s issue. It has come to our notice that GBV impacts all of us, and it is our role as a community to end it. We need to empower women and girls to be able to say NO to violence and empower them financially. Male involvement is also key in ending GBV because we need to defeminize GBV. Like my fellow clergy, the justice, law, and order sector also have a hand in this fight.”
The event had break-out sessions, during which stakeholders extensively discussed various GBV-related issues, such as ESA Regional Policy Analysis, Youth Engagement and Leadership in GBV, Litigation and Access to Justice for GBV survivors, and Existing Policy gaps and Youth Recommendations for Sustainable Shelters.
The most significant outcome of the event was the development of a position paper advocating for policy reforms and increased funding for GBV shelters. This paper will be presented to the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls to urge decisive action in tackling GBV in the region.
Atuhaire Moreen, Assistant Commissioner of Police, in charge of the Child and Family Protection Unit, highlighted the need to address GBV from both female and male perspectives, saying, “Cases of GBV keep increasing each year 2020 to date, has seen an increase where the most affected are girls. This does not exclude men and boys as victims, but their numbers are lower than those of their female counterparts. The 2023 annual crime report saw 12,771 cases of defilement, with more girls having their rights violated and 326 boys defiled. There is a misconception in society about boys being defiled, yet we see the need for their protection against GBV. We have also seen cases of early marriages where girls are sold off for a fee to benefit their families. Stakeholders need to come together to raise one voice against GBV.”
