Women beating up men in Bushenyi on the rise

Ambrose Muhumuza

Cases of Sexual and Gender based Violence (SGBV) against men are on the rise in Bushenyi, according to the Ministry of Gender and Social Development. The ministry says more men are reporting cases of assault by their spouses.

Frederick Ntungura (47) from Nyamiko village is one such case. The Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality resident says his wife and children have taken to regularly beating him up whenever he complains about his wife's extramarital affairs.

Ntungura claims that the violence does not stop at physical assault, his wife also sometimes denies him food.

He once tried to report a case of assault at Nyamushekyera prison but instead he ended up spending three days in prison. Ntungura claims that when his wife was summoned, she managed to turn the police against him. He was only released three days later after well wishers raised his bail.

Ntungura prays for government protection because he has been getting death threats ever since he was released. He is waiting for mention of his case in court.

Bushenyi senior probation officer Faith Amanya says Ntungura is not an isolated case. Amanya says many cases go unreported because of the men fear the public embarrassment of exposure.

LCV Chairman Bushenyi Jafari Bassajjabalaba says many men don't just suffer physical violence but emotional torture too. The men are denied their conjugal rights by their wives as a form of punishment.

Representing state minister for Gender Hon Peace Mutuuzo, the executive secretary for the ministry of gender Collins Mwijuka says leaders have to think hard to fight against this societal challenge.

Mwijuka says on top of educating everyone about SGBV, means of economically empowering men and women have to be devised and considered top priority.

Government has been challenged to ensure that the police Family and Child protection units well funded to enable them investigate SGBV cases. Government needs strengthen the legal policies in order to have the culprits prosecuted.