Despite years of interventions by government agencies and development partners, cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in Arua City remain alarmingly high.
Local authorities say harmful cultural traditions and peer influence continue to undermine progress, fueling practices that put women and girls at risk.
Speaking during the launch of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign on Saturday, Arua City Community Development Officer Judith Drate said long-standing cultural attitudes are enabling violence to persist in households and communities.
“From our surveys and studies within the city, we have realized that our biggest cause of GBV escalation is the negative cultural attitudes within our communities,” Drate said. She noted that some families still normalize harmful practices such as forced or early marriage.
“If a girl is below 18 years and the parents are planning to marry her off forcefully—and the culture is very okay with it—that causes a lot of concern for us,” she said.
Drate emphasized that these behaviors are often replicated from household to household, making it difficult for authorities and activists to dismantle the cycle of abuse.
According to statistics released by Arua City leadership, 168 GBV cases have been registered since January, with the most common involving teenage pregnancy, defilement, and early marriage.
Arua City Assistant Town Clerk Emmanuel Angudubo echoed the concerns, pointing to deeply entrenched patriarchal systems that continue to disadvantage women and girls.
“You very well know that in our culture, even when the government has pronounced itself very well on issues of gender equality, women and girls continue to face violence and discrimination. Their voices are sidelined from key decisions, even on matters like land distribution, where priority is often given exclusively to male children,” he said.
This year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign is being commemorated under the global theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls.”
The Head of Programs at Feminature Uganda, Genevieve Avako, said the theme reflects rising concerns over technology-facilitated abuse.
“This year’s campaign comes at a critical time when online spaces that were once avenues for empowerment, connection, and learning now become sites for harassment, abuse, disinformation, and exploitation targeting women and girls,” she said.
She highlighted tactics such as cyberbullying, trolling, online threats, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images—often referred to as “revenge porn” or leaked nudes—as growing forms of digital GBV that require urgent attention.
The Global 16 Days Campaign, observed from November 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10, aims to mobilise governments, civil society, and communities to take coordinated action against violence affecting women and girls.
According to UN Women, one in three women globally experiences some form of violence, underscoring the urgent need for sustained, collaborative efforts.
Local leaders in Arua City are calling on cultural institutions, families, youth groups, and digital communities to join the fight, noting that ending GBV requires collective responsibility.
