UGANDA: Catholic Church Re-Launches National Campaign Against Gender Based Violence
By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference
As part of the church’s effort to see an end to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and promote women empowerment (WE) in the country, the Catholic Church in Uganda will this Saturday, November 5, 2016, re-launch a national drive on domestic violence prevention and women empowerment.
The National campaign will be carried out all year round but will intensify during the four weeks of the Season of Advent, which begins on Sunday November 27. Advent Season also coincides with the international commemoration of the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence (November 25– December 10). The campaign will run under the theme, “Merciful Parents, Peaceful Families” as extracted from Luke 6:36 in which Jesus calls upon us to be merciful just as our Father is merciful.
The Catholic Church in Uganda has been running the national campaign against domestic violence and the promotion of peace in families since 2010, in partnership with two Irish organisations which includes Trocaire and Irish Aid. But, following the rise of women empowerment subject around the world, the Church has also decided to pick-up the trend as one of its campaign focus.
“We chose our campaign theme as Women Empowerment and Domestic Violence Prevention Campaign because currently, the issue of women empowerment which includes gender balance and equality among other things has come up loudly,” the National Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Prevention Desk of the Uganda Episcopal Conference adding, “We have realized that many families are falling part because some women don’t know their roles. If we are to work on strengthening family units focus should be on both men and women.”
The campaign is aimed at creating awareness about the problem of GBV and to bring about behaviour change in the society such as women empowerment. It will be implemented in all the 19 dioceses of the Catholic Church in Uganda making an endeavour to reach out to all our parishes and families. Material such as posters, t-shirts and info-packs will be distributed in the churches throughout the country as part of this effort to see an end to domestic violence.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report of 2014, domestic violence is one of the most common forms of abuse in Uganda leading to loss of lives and property. This for sure highlights the gravity of this cancer which is quietly destroying the fabric of the society which is the family.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the UEC, Most Rev. John Baptist Odama, also the Archbishop of Gulu, the Irish Ambassador to Uganda, H. E. Donal Cronin and the Country Director of Trocaire, Ian Dolan are some of the key figures that will grace the re-launch event.
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