The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$40 million equivalent IDA credit to Uganda for strengthening social risk management and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response project, it said in a press release dated June 22.
The bank said that this credit has a zero percentage interest rate and has a final maturity of 38 years, including a grace period of six years.
Uganda recognises GBV as a serious problem and approved a national policy on the elimination of GBV in October 2016.
This project, which was approved on June 20, 2017, will support the implementation of the policy and will also help strengthen systems for managing social risk in development projects, the bank said.
GBV is a serious problem across many continents and countries.
“Rates of GBV in Uganda are high,” said Janat Mukwaya, the minister of gender, labor and social development in the press release.
The release added that 62 percent of women and 59 percent of men aged 15-49 in Uganda have previously reported cases related to physical or sexual violence at least once since the age of 15.
Mukwaya said this project would help bring down the above reported figures.
The World Bank Country Manager for Uganda, Christina Malmberg Calvo said Uganda has a good number of tried and tested interventions that have been effective in reducing the incidence of GBV through intensive behavior change communication.
The project, she said, would build on these experiences to make the situation even better.
The project will also invest in strengthening the capacity of key front-line services to address the needs of survivors of GBV with a strong focus in the health sector.
The project will also focus on promoting behavior change and strengthening referral mechanisms on top of improving their ability to provide quality care.
#Uganda recognizes #GBV as a serious problem. Here’s how the @WorldBank is supporting them in the elimination of GBV https://t.co/QdgqrOkPKY pic.twitter.com/drxCVENI8A
— WBG Gender (@WBG_Gender) June 22, 2017
