UMWA calls for collective efforts to handle GBV

30 September 2024, 4:07 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

The Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), in partnership with the Austrian Development Cooperation, hosted an interactive dialogue to review progress on the project addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and girls.

The dialogue brought together media practitioners, women survivors of violence, and other stakeholders to assess the project’s impact and chart a way forward.

UMWA’s Executive Director, Margaret Ssentamu, highlighted the urgent need for continued funding, citing the shrinking funding space despite the rising cases of GBV. “GBV and inequality persist, and we struggle to secure donors following the closure of the DGF,” Ssentamu said.

UMWA is currently implementing a two-month project to train journalists, survivors, community-based organisations, and police in Kawempe, Central Division of Kampala City. This initiative responds to Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) data indicating that Kawempe accounts for 14% of GBV cases in Kampala City.

During the training, the Deputy Director of the Austrian Development Cooperation Farukuoye Beate, visited and was welcomed by Margaret Ssentamu. Survivors expressed gratitude for the training, feeling empowered to communicate with journalists and report their issues.

“We thought journalists were unreachable, but now we can find them, and they can come to us and hear our rights through them,” one survivor said. Journalists presented challenges regarding existing legal policies and resources but pledged to continue their efforts.

Margaret Ssentamu thanked the donor for their timely support and requested ongoing funding. The Deputy Director of the Austrian Development Cooperation appreciated UMWA’s commitment and promised to explore continued funding.

“This will enhance a survivor-centred approach,” she said, acknowledging the cultural factors contributing to gender inequalities. “Cultural settings often lay the groundwork for inequalities by assigning roles based on gender, some of which must change because they contribute to the suffering of women,” she noted.

over decades Journalists had failed to recognize that culture plays a big role in normalizing violence against women and grils. During the training, Peace Basemera said had been writing stories at times which are not balanced and did not understand the cultural contributions to GBV till he attended the training. The training which is at its climax has impacted 0ver 40 Journalists and atleast over 30 survivors who are now empowered to work together. Among the hindrance Journalist campaign of is poor legal environment such as computer misuse act , limited resources to carry out investigations and some skills to tackle GBV Stories which Umwa is addressing

The workshop concluded with insightful reflections, emphasising the critical role of the media in advocating against gender-based violence (GBV) which is to Carry about investigation , balance the stories and avoid the stereotypes using the skills obtained from the training. Stakeholders recognised the power of the media in shaping public opinion and influencing policy changes.

UMWA’s efforts are crucial in combating GBV, and continued support from organisations like the Austrian Development Cooperation is vital to sustaining progress.

The partnership between UMWA and the Austrian Development Cooperation serves as a model for collaborative efforts to address GBV in Uganda, demonstrating the potential for meaningful change through collective action.

As Uganda continues to grapple with the complexities of GBV, initiatives like this underscore the importance of sustained commitment and cooperation among stakeholders.