Gov’t to borrow Sh148 billion to fight gender based violence

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Director Uganda Media Centre, Shaban Bantariza said the decision was approved by cabinet yesterday during its weekly meeting. The borrowing was approved to support the strengthening of social risk management and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response project.

The loan is required to increase participation in gender-based violence prevention programs and increase utilization of multi-sectoral services for survivors of gender-based violence in targeted districts.

Asked about the districts which will benefit from the loan, Bantariza said they will be communicated by the ministry of gender at an appropriate time after securing the loan.

GBV Statistics

The detailed report of 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) released last month gathered gender based violence statistics. A total of 9,232 women age 15-49 and 4,011 men age 15-54 responded to UBOS questions domestic.

According to the report, more than half of women (51%) and men (52%) age 15-49 said they had experienced physical violence. And one in five women (22%) and men (20%) said they experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey conducted in 2016.

The survey further showed that percentage of women who have experienced physical violence since age 15 declined from 60% in 2006 to 56% in 2011 and 51% in 2016. And the percentage of men who have experienced physical violence since age 15 increased from 53% in 2006 to 56% in 2011 before decreasing to 52% in 2016.

Similarly, the report showed that women’s experience of physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey declined from 34% in 2006 to 27% in 2011 and then to 22% in 2016. But the percentage of men who experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey has not changed substantially over the past 10 years.