Women in Uganda have started a five year campaign called, We can End all Violence Against Women, that seeks to reduce the social tolerance and acceptance of violence against women.
The campaign is spearheaded by a coalition of womens’ organizations who are changemakers in their respective communities. These include, Uganda Muslims Women Association, Mariam Foundation Uganda, Oxfam and youth forums, among others.
The campaign started with prayers at Seventh day Adventist Church in Makerere. The organizations come together annually as changemakers and bring rural and urban people together to air their views about the challenges they face in their communities.
Many women believe that women who are educated cannot manage marriage, since they are working tirelessly and have no time for their families; others believe that when they are beaten by their spouses it shows a sign of love.
According to the woman Member of Parliament for Kampala, Nabbira Naggayi, marital problems are not caused by education but challenges within individual relationships.
Women need to manage their male counterparts and also male counterparts need to manage their women.“By being honest we know the values that each peson holds, we need to bring them together and not impose expectations without communicating them to your partner,” she added.
“Some girls put on a show when they have just got married, they show that they can cook, iron, clean their homes but after a while they are disappointed. We are living in a transition period in our country where more women are working outside the house so that brings a challenge to male counterparts who are not used to this and it is happening now from villages to towns.
“This is important as government and members of parliament need to know that we are in transition as a country, transitioning from rural to urban and this is causing challenges, which is creating more challenges and hence leading to domestic violence,” she added.
Lydia Komugisha, Chairperson of the campaign, says that the campaign will focus on changing the view that actions of violence against women are acceptable.
Women attending a training on Women to End Violence
Women say We Can Uganda
Member of Parliament Nabbila Nagayi for Kampala who officiated the campaign
