UMWA Pushes media houses to enforce sexual harassment policies

1 October 2026, 8:58 am

By, Mike Okwang Ogule

LIRA: The Uganda Media Women’s Association, UMWA, has urged media houses to review, popularise and effectively implement sexual harassment policies to create safer and more inclusive workplaces.

The call was made during a one-day training on sexual harassment at the workplace held at Pauline Hotel in Lira City on September 29, 2026.

The training brought together media managers and key decision-makers from different media houses to enhance their understanding of sexual harassment, its effects, prevention measures and appropriate institutional responses.

According to Doreen Sampa the human rights/lobbying officer at UMWA, the training was organised after sexual harassment emerged as one of the key issues during previous gender-sensitive reporting trainings conducted with media houses in Northern Uganda.

Sampa observed that although many media houses have sexual harassment policies, the policies are often kept on shelves and are not sufficiently communicated or put into practice by employees.

She called on managers who attended the training to return to their respective media houses, review existing policies and ensure that they are made known and operational. She also encouraged media houses without such policies to develop and implement them.

Catherine Apalat, Project Officer at UMWA, said the organisation is implementing a four-year programme aimed at promoting media rights, equality and inclusion, with support from the Finnish Foundation for Media and Development, Vikes.

Apalat noted that sexual harassment remains a challenge in many media houses, with limited mechanisms to prevent the vice, handle complaints and support survivors.

She referred to findings from a recent Women in News, WAN-IFRA, study, which indicate that both women and men in Uganda experience different forms of sexual harassment, including verbal, online and physical harassment.

The figures presented during the training showed that 77 percent of women and 45 percent of men had experienced verbal sexual harassment, while online harassment affected 56 percent of women and 46 percent of men. Physical sexual harassment was reported by 47 percent of women and 34 percent of men.

The training also equipped media managers with knowledge of key laws and legal provisions that protect workers against sexual harassment, including the Employment Act, the Constitution of Uganda, the Equal Opportunities Commission Act and the Penal Code Act, among others.

Participants were encouraged to strengthen reporting mechanisms within their workplaces and ensure that complaints are handled appropriately and that perpetrators face relevant disciplinary or legal action.

Meanwhile, Daniel Omuge, Station Manager at Speak FM in Gulu, said the station will review its existing sexual harassment policy, sensitise staff about its provisions and ensure that it is effectively implemented.

The managers who attended the training committed themselves to taking the lessons back to their respective media houses and reviewing existing workplace policies to make them more practical and accessible to all employees.