Govt Urged to Act on Emerging Forms of Gender Violence

The government and civil society leaders have urged swift adaptation of policies and interventions to tackle emerging forms of gender-based violence (GBV) in Uganda. The call came at the closure of the From Access to Equality (FATE) project, a four-year initiative led by Penal Reform International in partnership with the Uganda Women’s Network (Uwonet), supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy. Rita Aciro, executive director of Uwonet, noted that while physical and sexual violence has declined in regions such as Busoga, Uganda is now grappling with more subtle but damaging abuses. “The violence we talked about 10 or 20 years ago has changed face. Today, we are seeing more silent but dangerous forms of violence such as economic deprivation, online abuse, and mental health-related violations,” she said. Citing international reports, including a recent BBC documentary, Aciro emphasized that Uganda is not immune to global shifts in patterns of abuse. Angela Nakafeero, Commissioner for Gender and Women Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, acknowledged the challenge, highlighting government efforts under the fourth National Development Plan to strengthen justice systems, expand gender-responsive legal aid, and transform discriminatory social norms. “Ordinary Ugandans still fear the justice system. Some fear going to court or even calling the police,” Nakafeero said, stressing the need for renewed community-based interventions. Both Aciro and Nakafeero urged government and civil society actors to rethink strategies for combating GBV, warning that evolving forms of abuse could reverse progress made against traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and domestic violence. “As we close this program, we need to ask ourselves: what else can we do, and how can we do it differently?” Aciro said. The FATE project, which ran from 2021 to 2025, worked across Northern, Eastern, and Western Uganda to enhance access to justice and promote equality for women and vulnerable groups.