KAMPALA – The National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U) has asked the Government to prioritize and take action to support the legal, financial, skills, medical and psychological well-being of Women Human Rights Defenders – WHRDs.
On 29th November 2023, NCHRD-U joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, an annual observance dedicated to recognizing the resilience, achievements and empowerment of women who champion human rights.
This year was celebrated under the theme, “Honoring She Defenders: Recognizing the resilience, achievements and empowerment of women who champion Human Rights in Uganda.”
Amidst all odds, WHRDs have been at the forefront of the social justice movement and have challenged male dominance, society-centuried patriarchal system, discrimination, inequality, gender-based violence and supported equal rights for women.
However, human rights players underscored that women face gendered threats compared to their men counterparts.
“WHRDs have faced dual vulnerability; as women in a patriarchal system and as women human rights defenders. These threats manifest as harmful anti-gender narratives, defamation campaigns, stigmatization, exclusion, marginalization, underrecognition and underfunding, and violence online and in digital spaces with stereotypes about their appropriate roles.”
Thelma Awori, Honorary consul of Liberia in Uganda underscored that to end the stories of human rights abuse, and the violence against women, the world needs human rights defenders.
“…it just breaks my heart to see how much we are tolerating the abuse of human rights in the world today and I think that major powers definitely have to answer for some of the situation.”
She appealed to the human rights defenders to stand firm no matter the threats because they are very much needed by the voiceless society.
“Don’t ever underestimate the importance of what you’re doing.”
She decried the state capture – noting that in many countries dangerous people want to take everything for themselves and leave everyone else with nothing which normally deteriorates human rights.
Dorothy Kiyai, the protection officer at the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda revealed that they have established some regional coalition networks across the country to foster human rights defense.
“If we are going to reach the grassroots, you have to go down and empower the women to take the lead and be included in the processes of the protection of women.”
So as a coalition, she noted that they have set up a protection fund that supports the women human rights defenders at risk because they face so many challenges in the due course.
“That is the role of the coalition to support the women human rights defenders to continue to be resilient.”
In terms of cases, Kiyai revealed that they handle between 30 to 50 cases every year, not forgetting the ones that go unreported.
She called on the Parliament to come up with a Bill that protects human rights defenders.
“It will not only shape the narrative surrounding human rights defenders but also establish the legal framework for their vital work. Article 38 of the 1995 Constitution guarantees every Ugandan citizen the right to participate in government affairs, either individually or through representatives, per the law,” she explained.
The Coalition also tasked the Government, civil society organizations, development partners, and the rest of the world to conduct prompt investigations of intimidations, threats, violence and other abuses against WHRDs but also establish platforms that recognize the human rights work of WHRDs.
They also recommended safe spaces and protection mechanisms that support and protect WHRDs both online and offline
The stakeholders have also been tasked to advocate for laws and policies that safeguard the rights and well-being of WHRDs.
