The 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence (16 DOA GBV) was originated by activists at the inaugural women’s global leadership institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each and every year as an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The campaign began on Friday 25th November, which is the international day for elimination of violence against women and runs up to the 10th of December, the international human rights day.
While launching the campaign at Kasenyi landing site, Ronald Kalema the Katabi towncouncil chairperson tasked the public to embrace the campaign’s aims by raising awareness on violence against women and girls and it’s implications to families, communities and overall national development.
He said that many of men are also victims of domestic violence, therefore he urged them to take such violence cases to the nearest police stations for help.
The Katabi town council boss also called upon women and girls participation in political, policymaking and decision making spaces at all levels including in development, humanitarian and peace processes.
“Let’s be voices of survivors and activists to be heard and calls for urgency in prevention and response to gender based violence,” he remarked.
Samuel Nsubuga the chairperson of Katabi Civil Society Organization Network that combines over 40 NGO’s said that they decided to join the campaign as away of mobilizing all partners and stakeholders especially male engagement to take actions and prevent violence against women and girls and resist the rollback on women’s rights.
“We need to advocate for strategic actions including increased long termed, sustainable and flexible funding from government, private sector and other donor partners to end violence against women and girls,” he added.
According to the Uganda police annual crime report (2021), a total of 16,242 cases of gender based violence were reported; 8,065 were cases of domestic violence, 6,838 were cases of defilement, 749 for rape, 223 were aggravated domestic violence leading to death, 144 were cases of indecent assault and 39 were cases of child abduction.
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