Tag: Women Defenders

VIRTUAL COORDINATION MEETING FOR RWENZORI – WHRDS -REGIONAL NETWORK.

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On 22 July 2021, the Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDN-U) convened a zoom coordination meeting for WHRDs based in Rwenzori region under the theme “Local Networking among WHRDs is crucial for supporting WHRDs at risk.” The meeting attracted over 18 women defenders who gathered in their physical locations from Kasese, Kabarole, Katwe, Bundibugyo, and Bulisa districts.

The coordination meeting aimed at improving the capacity of grass root regional WHRD networks to protect women human rights defenders at risk. It also provided a platform for women defenders to share their experiences of threats, fears and challenges faced in defending human rights work.

Women human rights defenders participating in the meeting had this to say about their experiences of threats, challenges, fears and attacks

  • “Some people abuse us that If you failed to manage your own children whose child, do you think you will manage, why are you interfering with our culture.” Kyobutungi Maureen of Kabarole district.
  • “Detention of WHRDs – ‘someone times you come in as a defender you are also arrested without even fair hearing.” Mawa Juliet Masika of Katwe district.
  • “I have received threats of rape, office break ins, and telling me to reduce my voice or I will die because of defending rights of sex workers.” Rose Kahunde of Kasese district

For her part, Ms. Brenda Kugonza thanked women defenders for their resilience and commitment to defending human rights noting that women defenders from Rwenzori region worked on a wide range of areas- rights of sex workers, rights of indigenous people (Batwa), women’s rights, land rights, business and human rights, environmental rights and working to dismantle patriarchy moreover in extremely difficult contexts and circumstances. In her remarks however, Ms. Brenda Kugonza informed participants that throughout the period of Lockdown, WHRDN-U secretariat received reports showing the challenges faced by members of Rwenzori WHRDs Network including:

  • Emotional blackmail
  • Discrimination against women defenders by duty bearers
  • Being branded as immoral women corrupting society.
  • And their meetings/gatherings being dispersed by duty bearers.

Speaking at the meeting, Kabagenyi Peluce, the focal person concurred with Ms. Brenda’s report of the challenges they were facing and thanked WHRDNU for organizing the meeting to ensure that their pertinent issues were heard and addressed.

In her presentation concerning how to improve the local network in the region, Ms. Brenda Kugonza, of the WHRDN-U, encouraged women defenders to document incidences of attacks against women defenders noting that documenting brings visibility and legitimacy to the work and contributions of women human rights defenders. She further noted that documenting allows us to record our experiences as human rights defenders and as women that if there is no record of the violations inflicted upon women defenders, the violations will not be known by the public. By the end of the meeting, WHRDs demonstrated the ability to coordinate grass root WHRDs, document attacks, and report cases to secretariat, when they gave the following proposals regarding collaboration, coordination and documenting and reporting cases of attacks against WHRDs.

  • They committed to opportunities of collaboration when they exchanged phone contacts. Members shared their phone numbers in the chat during the zoom meeting. They also suggested that they create a social media platform for the Rwenzori WHRDs Network.
  • “Coordination can surely improve if only we can keep in touch with each other and our district focal persons.” said Jacklyn Bwenge of Kasese district.
  • “Thank you, WHRDN-U, through the coordination meeting you will help provided a shared understanding of the violence women defenders face in our region.’’ Kabalisa Rhoda of Bundibugyo district
  • ‘’We need to have forums like this to encourage mobilization of women defenders to come together leading to a smooth flow of information between secretariat and the region,’’ said Peninah Zaninka from Kisoro district.
  • “In these meetings I get to know the sufferings of our sisters.” Peluce Kabagenyi of Rwenzori

The meeting also involved discussions on self-care and well-being. During the meeting, it was empathized that WHRDs need to take care of their mental and physical health through taking off time to rest and relax. Meeting as a Network for leisure activities like having dinner.  Participants went ahead to discuss the toll of stress, trauma and social exclusion on their mental health as there is a lot of stigma faced at community level. ‘’This leads to risks such as mental breakdown and distress due to psychological torture.” Musoki Elizabeth of Kasese.

Members gathered in physical locations to attend the zoom meeting.

 

 

VIRTUAL COORDINATION MEETING FOR ACHOLI – WHRDS -REGIONAL NETWORK.

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Over eight WHRDs from Gulu, Kitgum, Omoro and Pader districts, participated in a virtual meeting for the Acholi WHRD regional network. The meeting on 21st July 2021 from 8:30am to 12pm was under theme “Local Networking among WHRDs is crucial for supporting WHRDs at risk”. The women defenders gathered in their physical locations and joined the meeting online.

Speaking to the participants, Ms. Brenda Kugonza of Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDNU) thanked them for the work of defending rights. She informed members how despite the COVID-19 crisis, they continued to fight against child marriages, GBV/FGM, widow inheritance, land grabbing and defending rights of LGBTQ persons and sex workers.

Ms. Brenda Kugonza also told members that reports received at secretariat from WHRDs in the region reveal that WHRDs continue to suffer from smear campaigns, eviction from their communities, being accused of promoting immorality and being assaulted physically on several occasions. That also lack of recognition of their human rights work since in their communities’ women activists are perceived as bad women, not being good wives, failure to attend to issues in the private sphere (their homes).

Participants also acknowledged the existence of social and traditional norms in the region that have posed grave obstacles for women defenders since it is unheard of for a woman to actively participate in public spaces. For instance Christine Achan from Gulu district was rejected by her community and forced to relocate. ‘’ I have been beaten on several occasions and recently I was being evicted from the house I was in and WHRDNU came in and supported me to relocate to another place, she told members. ‘’Threatening calls and messages, exposing nude pictures are the experiences we go through in handling our roles as Human rights defenders and sometimes it’s discouraging,’’ shared Agenorwot Fiona from Gulu district.

In the plenary discussions, participants discussed how to improve coordination of the regional network:

  • “To improve on coordination for effective reporting, we need to know contacts of fellow defenders and know the regional and districts focal persons,’’ submitted Ataro Juliet from Kitgum district. This would enable a woman defender at risk to reach out for support from the local network thus defending her from her attackers.
  • Effective coordination within the region promotes positive advocacy. It then leads to having and growing a strong movement of women of all walks of life coming out to defend rights of everyone. More solutions like having regular dialogues, check in meetings and practicing self-care were recommended by members to build a local support system for WHRDs at risk.
  • “I think as a regional network we will respond quick to women defenders in danger.” Teddy Ayo of Acholi
  • “Coordination means to share contacts so that WHRDs can communicate to each other in the region.” Aloyo Teopista of Gulu district.

 

Members pose for a photo during the meeting.
Women defenders in Karamoja Region pose for a photo after a capacity building workshop

WHRDs speak out on the challenges of negative cultural/social norms in Karamoja Region.

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Caption: WHRDs from Karamoja pose for a photo after the workshop.

WHRDS from Karamoja region are involved in fighting against GBV, FGM, Widow Inheritance and defending Land and environmental rights, Child rights, women’s rights among others. These are rights that were formally not observed or respected due to cultural and social norms in Karamoja region. For instance, women were inherited as property upon the demise of the husband. A girl had to go through FGM to be considered a “real woman”. Women did not own land and physical battering was looked at as disciplining a woman or a child.

This has made the work of women defenders increasingly difficult as they maneuver cultural norms to fight against violence inflicted on them. It is a difficult battle that can only be won by speaking out to challenge the existing cultural and social norms.  Below are some of the challenges they faced in the course of their work.

A child’s rights woman defender from Amudat district followed up on a case where a young girl had been raped and reported it to the police. To her surprise, the police abused her for making sure of an arrest and the parents of the girl only asked for compensation while resisting the arrest of the perpetrator.

A female journalist and woman defender against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) from Kapchorwa district narrated how she was attacked by cultural elders for speaking out against FGM. They claimed that it was their cultural norm and a rite of passage to womanhood for their girls in the Sabiny culture. This forced the woman defender to abandon her work in the region for two years as she sought asylum in a new location.  It is important to note that girls who underwent FGM suffered excruciating pain, swellings and keloids in their private parts.

In addition, a human rights defender for women’s rights went through an ordeal where she lost her husband and his relatives wanted to take all property she jointly owned with him. She immediately reported the case to Uganda Law Society and got legal support. It could have gone sour if she hadn’t quickly reached out to a legal organization for help.

Another woman defender for reproductive rights recalled an incident where a pregnant woman died due to negligence of the nurse in charge of the labor ward that day. She reported the nurse who was later arrested and taken into custody. This made other medical staff skeptical and they singled her out as a problematic person. They later on refused to give her any medical assistance since that incident yet she was only doing her work as a Human rights defender.

Following the above challenges, the women defenders  had a training in Moroto district where they  were trained in networking, advocacy and lobbying  strategies to enable them build supportive networks among themselves, advocate for human rights as well as lobby duty bearers to take action by protecting them from physical attacks.

They were equipped with human rights advocacy strategies such as research and analysis, networking and co-ordination, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and problem identification. The WHRDs made resolutions and appreciated the strategies stating that they will guide them in their human rights work as they continue to raise their voices against violations in the region of Karamoja.

The WHRDS also raised concerns and requested to be trained in issues of security, given more information on protection, monitoring, reporting and evaluation. They further asked for self-care and collective healing spaces and more opportunities to have networking activities for them.

The WHRDNU took their concerns into account and is committed to providing them with support and spaces to enable them continue with their human rights work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHRDs from Karamoja trained in Human Rights Activism.

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Caption: Brenda Kugonza E.D WHRDNU conducting her session during the training.

On the 19th of May 2021, 20 Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) from Karamoja region were trained in Human Rights Activism in Moroto district, Uganda. They were trained by UN Women together with OHCHR and Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDNU) from 19th to 21st May.

It aimed at improving their skills of doing human rights work. The meeting was organized following concerns raised by WHRDs related to backlash from their communities, increased gender violence, police resistance and rampant name calling.

During the training, the Women defenders outlined key national protection institutions they can partner with in their defense of human rights. These included Uganda Human Rights Commission, Uganda Law Reform Commission, The Justice, Law and Order Sector. The Uganda Police Force and Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC). These institutions defend and advocate for human rights and human rights activists.

The WHRDs were also introduced to the national and International human rights protection mechanisms. For instance the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an international human rights protection mechanism. The UNOHCR facilitator informed participants that Uganda was reviewed in UPR in October 2011 noting that the government received over 170 recommendations and accepted 129.

Brenda Kugonza conducting her session during the training.
A woman defender asks a question during the training.

The Women defenders were encouraged to work amicably with duty bearers. For instance they can build a friendly working relationship with police officers in their areas. This would make it easy for them to report an attack or follow up on cases.

The training methodology encouraged participation by every member. For instance, the WHRDN-U staff, divided participants in to 3 groups. The group discussions enabled participants to discuss key questions namely:

  • Identify the offline and online security threats, risks ad attacks that WHRDs face in Karamoja Regions.
  • Suggest practical ways in which these off-line and on-line threats, risks and attacks can be addressed or prevented.
  • In what ways can WHRDs in your region prevent or respond to attacks against them.

Responses to questions above.

The first group cited denial to speak in meetings/gatherings, arbitrary arrests, name calling, denial to access services, online bullying, hacking and revealing of private information to the public.

The second group suggested solutions such as avoiding joining multiple WhatsApp groups, desist from sharing hate speeches or personal information online/ offline. Having a 24/7 helpline like the one of WHRDNU at all times, use of different routes to avoid being followed unaware and referring cases to WHRDNU for support.

The third group gave insights on how women defenders can prevent or respond to attacks against them. These included but were not limited to reporting cases to authorities, burden sharing to overcome trauma, recording phone calls to do with threats, having good relationships with other WHRDs and joining professional organizations that can help.

At the end of the training,  the WHRDs were appreciative of the new knowledge and skills they had acquired from the workshop.