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Uganda: War
against the women
New Vision (Uganda), 4. March 2003 Kampala - This year's Women's Day celebrations will take place in Gulu District. With over 17 years of war that has plagued the area, violence is almost a norm to thousands of women in Northern Uganda. A study done in 2000 by the Women's International cross cultural exchange (Isis-WICCE) in northern Uganda, reveals shocking instances of women's experiences during war. Of the 1,042 respondents in one camp, 110 (17%) women reported being raped or faced attempted rape as well as being forced into marriage. This is in addition to physical and psychological torture that is vetted on many women in war areas where peace, order and the rule of law are minimal. In the above camp, 445 (45.7%) women experienced beating and kicking, 173 12%) had to undergo forced labour. 195 (21.2%) reported being deprived of food, water and medicine-all of which are basic needs whose access is considered as a right. As early as 1996, the Gulu Rehabilitation Unit registered a total of 628 children, 386 women and 147 men who had been physically disabled by bullets, landmines and various other forms of cruelty. Many of the patients with these various surgical complications constituted mainly of womenwomen - 348 compared to 230 men. The study found more women with painful body swellings compared to men. Most neglected congenital or acquired medical problems were in women, making them live very distressful lives. In less than a month in 2000, 503 cases of war related health complications were recorded at Awer Health Centre in Gulu, mainly women and children. In a similar 2000 study in Luwero District, 52% of the war traumatised women still reported features of post traumatic stress disorders with 72.9% of them having impaired occupational functioning 14 years after the war. Women and girls have borne the brunt of torture as surviving victims of war. In Awer Internally displaced peoples camp for example, the male to female ratio in 2000 was 1:5, compared to the national average of 1:1. As a result, the girl-child is experiencing increasing marginalisation and facing sexual abuse or exploitation. The study found that the danger of abduction and sexual abuse by rebels has kept most girls out of school. Even where access to a safe school was possible; the opportunity cost of girls schooling was heightened by the war. The high mortality of men in the war and shifting gender roles in the provision of economic needs for the family has meant that mothers increasingly call on daughters to contribute to basic needs. "Our studies showed significant war-related psychotraumatisation of women, leaving them devastated psychologically, socially and physically. No treatments were in place," Isis-WICCE says in their study report. Of the 1,042 respondents considered, only 53% received treatment from health centres. 13% looked to traditional medicines while 33.3% reported having got no treatment at all. Almost everybody in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader have had a relative killed in the war, which is torture enough for them. 602 (60%) of the respondents in the study had a close relative killed in the war. In 61 (60%) of the cases, it was a spouse, 144 a child and in 397 a close relative. Even those who might not have experienced the above didn't escape verbal threats 472 (46.4% of the respondents), sleeping in the bush/swamps 629 (69%), abductions 339 (33.3%) and destruction/ looting of family property 526 (60%). This is in addition to interrogations 112 (11%), being forcefully recruited to fight on either government or rebels' side 50 (4.9%) and forced to kill 25 (2.5%). The main perpetrators of this torture were Lord's Resistance Army rebels 69.5% and the Uganda People's Defence Forces 25.4%. The Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment report (UPPA) 2001 also identifies violence against women as a factor that escalates poverty. Feminists have always argued that war reinforces gender inequality and diverts scarce resources from development. "It is women who suffer most from the lack of health services, poor education and economic stagnation," says a report of the Women's Worlds Congress that took place at Makerere University in July 2002.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni Uganda is in Anarchy" Le groupe de transmission de Mulindwas " avec Yoweri Museveni, Ouganda est dans anarchy " |
