鈥淎s a male champion, I strive for gender inclusiveness and making gender parity a priority,鈥� says local government Community Development Officer, Wilfred Nyeko. 鈥淏eing a male champion means reporting forms of abuse, acting as a source of change and inspiration for men, and being a role model for mindset change. It also means advocating for the rights of women and girls, and working to increase their visibility in society.鈥�
Mr. Nyeko is one of 15 men in Kitgum District who participated in Spotlight Initiative-supported听training sessions in 2019 and 2020 on gender equality, women鈥檚 rights and ending gender-based violence conducted by听UN Women听partner听LandNet Uganda.
鈥淚n Uganda, there is gender bias in education, gender disparities in agriculture, the gender pay gap, lack of representation for women and girls at policy level, and high incidences of sexual harassment,鈥� explains Mr. Nyeko. 鈥淎s a male champion I use my authority in the community to create a more inclusive culture and promote reduction of violence within my society.鈥澨�
During training sessions, Wilfred and other male champions learned about the role of women鈥檚 rights in reducing gender-based violence; the importance of family planning services for women and how to encourage men to explore those services with their wives; positive parenting techniques that promote gender equality; and safe sexual behaviours that promote women鈥檚 bodily autonomy and agency. The champions were equipped with the skills to act as role models and change agents for other men in their communities, and there are reduced incidences of conflicts in those districts targeted by the trainings.听
How land divides
There are听clear links between women鈥檚 land rights and access and gender-based violence听in Uganda. In Kitgum District, 63听per cent of women own land听and 86 per cent听of women have access to land, but under customary land tenure systems, these legal rights are often not recognized in communities where men dominate decision-making, and women are excluded from meaningfully participating in governance systems.听
鈥淕enerally, women must wait for their husbands to make decisions over land management and access, leaving many rural women underemployed and without any control over productive resources and services,鈥� notes Evelyn Letiyo, Ending Violence against Women and Girls Programme Specialist for UN Women Uganda, 鈥渨hich means that in cases of domestic violence, women often feel they have no option but to stay in violent households as they have no way to support themselves or their children.鈥�
Furthermore, approximately 50 per cent听of people in Northern Uganda have experienced land conflicts鈥攖he majority being women and widows鈥攁nd 72 per cent听of these conflicts are within households, families and clans. Often, these conflicts over land can lead to economic and听physical听violence against women and girls.
In addition to training male champions to advocate for gender equality in their communities, LandNet Uganda conducted sensitization meetings and forums with 2,206 community members to raise awareness about women鈥檚 land rights, increase the level of women鈥檚 participation in decision-making and governance, and help women understand what services are available to them if they experience violence.
鈥淪ince the community meetings, 25 women now participate in decision-making over land rights and use, there have听been more reports by women about land issues to the appropriate authorities. Access to land for production by women has greatly improved,鈥� enthuses Mr. Nyeko.听
鈥淚mportantly, incidences of gender-based violence are now being reported and handled by police and authorities. The counselling and mediation skills we learned as champions have听helped us handle land conflicts and reports of violence much better than before. Ultimately, I want men to know that we should co-exist peacefully with women in our society.鈥澨�
Despite its pervasiveness, violence against women is preventable. This 16 Days, we鈥檙e highlighting the programmes and initiatives making a difference in the lives of women and girls worldwide. Through education, advocacy, service provision and more, UN Women and partners are working to support survivors, bring perpetrators to justice and end gender-based violence once and for all. These impact stories prove that a better future is not only possible鈥攊t鈥檚 already being built.听
The听Spotlight Initiative听is a global initiative of the United Nations funded by the European Union. Its aim is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Under the Spotlight Initiative, UN Women听is working to train men as advocates for women鈥檚 rights and against gender-based violence.
