GBV crippling poverty eradication efforts in Acholi

LAMWO – Despite the existence of numerous poverty eradication programmes by both government and non-government actors, gender-based violence [ GBV ] has remained a threat to generation of household income in Acholi Sub-region.

Currently, women in the region [in districts like Kitgum, Lamwo, Pader, and others] have embraced the economic empowerment programmes and turned into breadwinners in their homes, but in some cases the women are seen as a threat by their husbands who beat and chase them out of the homes.

Some of the Women empowerment programmes

In February 2016, government launched Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP] where Shs 53 billion was made available to support women through provision of interest-free credit and technical advice.

The funds were also aimed at supporting value addition in the small and medium-scale enterprises run by women.

Recently, government also introduced the Parish Development Model [PDM], aimed at poverty eradication among the 3.5 million poor households in the country, with women being allocated 30 percent of the Shs 100 million disbursed to the parishes for income-generating activities.

There is also the Emyooga Programme and Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], all geared towards poverty eradication among the populace, but targeting women as well.

However, in Acholi Sub-region, some women participating in the mentioned government programmes have had a setback due to gender-based violence.

For instance, Joyce Lakaraber, a resident of Lagaya in Palabek Ogiri Sub-county in Lamwo district, and a mother of five, says her marriage in now in ruins just because she dared to attend a meeting where women were being sensitised on how to benefit from UWEP.

“I am the family’s breadwinner, and I thought of attending the meeting so that I can also improve our household income but to my dismay, my husband did not buy the idea. He accused me of plotting to get another man since I am going to be empowered,’’ Lakaraber says.

Her husband, she added, asked her if the available family land was not enough for her to generate income for the family.

Lakaraber says it is very common for men in their villages to be irritated by programmes that come to empower women. Our men feel insecure thinking they will lose their wives once they are empowered economically,” she said.

Lakaraber says she has since gotten back to selling her produce in the local markets after her husband asked to forego UWEP meetings for value addition.

Jessica Kalamera, 26, a resident of Mucwini in Kitgum district says she opted out of her marriage since there was nothing much she was achieving economically with a violent husband.

“Having been married off when I was just 17, I became the only breadwinner in the home. When the Youth Livelihood Fund came, I joined because I wanted to improve the welfare of our family but my husband who didn’t like me to participate in the programme became violent and I left the marriage to live on my own,” she says.

Kalamera says she does not regret separating from her husband since she is living in peace and providing for her three children.

Louise Okello, a resident of Matidi, Kitgum, says some government programmes do not bring men on board, which he says brings misunderstandings between spouses.

“If it is a women’s programme aimed at poverty eradication, men should also be encouraged to support their wives,’’ he says.

He adds, “Some women have become unruly when they get financial support from such programmes, and the end result is violence.”

Rtd. Bishop of Kitgum Dioceses, Macleod Baker Ochola for initiating programmes geared towards poverty eradication in Acholi Sub-region region, even though he said the programmes need repackaging to achieve the intended goals.

“There is a need to engage all the stakeholders so that the programmes can achieve positive results. For instance, religious leaders were not consulted on how best the information on the implementation of the programmes can be disseminated,’’ he said.

Operation Wealth Creation coordinator in Acholi Sub-region, Brig Gen. Francis Achoka, said all government poverty eradication programmes are geared towards supporting mass production where husbands and wives are supposed to work together.

“All stakeholders at all levels should play their roles since it is for the benefit of our people into the generation of income at the household level,’’ he said.

“In case there are challenges in tapping into the programmes, there are always technical people in various districts across the region so that technical advice is rendered to them,” he said.

The community development officer, Lamwo Wilfred Nyeko says some men just do not appreciate government programmes aimed at empowering women which is why they want to fail their wives who want to improve the incomes of their households.

“At times, they give excuses that in meetings women are urged to disrespect their husbands, but that is an excuse for the men because they feel insecure when their wives are economically empowered,’’ he says.

“Some men are naturally violent looking at our culture and they do not feel comfortable seeing their wives achieving positive results in enterprises they have taken,” he said.

Addressing the challenge

According to some of the government officials managing the government poverty eradication programmes in Acholi Sub-region, several community engagements have been organised to make men understand the importance of their wives in participating in government programmes. In these engagements, husbands who are taken as role models talk to their peers about the need to support their wives engaged in income-generating activities.

On average, there are seven cases of GBV against women that are reported weekly in Lamwo district, but in curbing the vice, role model men are brought on board for advocacy aimed at changing the errant men, Nyeko said.

“In Acholi Sub-region, there is tendency of some husbands who don’t want their wives to own property just because they paid dowry. However, we are advocating for violence-free space for women to thrive,” he said.

Jacqueline Adure, the communications specialist Capable Uganda, a non-government organisation, says they engage the entire family when it comes to women empowerment projects. “If the entire family is engaged, all the family members will be on the same page when it comes to household income.”

“We have in place counsellors and business mentors who check on our clients all the time to ensure that people live in peace and in case there is any dispute between the spouses, we encourage peaceful means of resolving it,’’ she said.

Acholi Sub-region last year was ranked one of the poorest regions in the country, although the leaders in the region attribute it to the Kony war that forced government to put people in the internally displaced camps for two decades.

Over 5,000 cases of GBV were registered in Acholi Sub-region in the past year, according to police.

Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalization [GWED-G], is one of those non-profit organisation working in Acholi Sub-region to create a positive change in homes so that people engage in activities that can boot household incomes.

https://thecooperator.news/fighting-poverty-women-urged-to-embrace-govt-programmes/

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