The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A consortium of 30 civil society organizations fighting gender-based violence have asked the government to include violence against women in the COVID-19 response plans.
The Domestic Violence Act Coalition is advocating for the safety and well-being of women during the annual global 16 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence starting on Tuesday 25th, November.
The campaign will be organized under the theme “Safety and well being; Creating new realities for women”.
Mary Harriet Lamunu from the Uganda Women Parliamentarians Association observes that the COVID- 19 pandemic has brought the silent pandemic of violence against women to the surface and deepened gender and power inequalities between men and women.
She points out that women continue to bear the increased demand to cater for basic survival needs of the family amidst additional physical and economic stress arising from business closures especially those in the informal sector.
The coalition also wants the Justice Law and order sector (JLOS) to prioritize and allocate funds for violence against women during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that they are deemed essential and accessible at all times.
The Head of Advocacy and legal affairs UGANET Immaculate Owomugisha implored the government to collect resources for the interventions.
The coalition has also called upon JLOS to strengthen data collection and dissemination on the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls, to inform adequate programming and interventions.
Carol Shemeri, program officer at Center for Domestic Violence Prevention CEDOVIP says specific funds should be allocated to implement the Domestic Violence Act and other violence against women responsive laws.
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