By Andrew Irumba
The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development has revealed that cases of violence against women, girls and children have increased during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
Min. Tumwebaze revealed this in a statement he released on Easter Monday exclusively to this website, in which he noted that security personnel were doing everything possible to curb the rising trend.
Read His Full Statement Below;
“We are getting reports that due to the current social environment of lock down cases of violence against women, children are increasing. I am therefore resounding a clarion call to all community, religious & politica leaders, law enforcement agencies like police, RDCs, prosecutors to act tough against gender based violence (#GBV) perpetrators. As human beings , lets us collectively renew the fight against Violence against women, children & #GBV in general.
While celebrating women’s day in mbale on March 8th 2020, I made a passionate appeal to all frontline law enforcement teams & prosecutors not to regard cases of #GBV as mere domestic issues to be resolved in family meetings. The idea of turning away women assualted/battered by their spouses at #Police stations advising them to go & settle their grievances at home is illegal & unacceptable. There is nothing domestic, family and or cultural to settle at home when it comes to Inflicting harm on one’s body.
Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social development & it’s partners under the Global #Spotlightinititaive is re-launching a renewed fight against #GBV. All community leaders must stand up against this vice. When the #Covid19ug situation settles, we shall conduct our national conference for community devt officers (CDOs) planned prior but postponed because of #Covid19ug, to re-sound the alarm at community level and re-awaken the CDOs who are always the first point of resort, women victims of violence run to. The CDOs and other community leaders as well as many other volunteer activists against #GBV will be trained on how to track #GBV cases to the final stage of ensuring that the victims get justice. We want to see all cases reported at police by #GBV victims progressing to court for prosecution.
I thank our partners mainly the UN family agencies & many other CSO partners for the support towards this fight against #GBV. Let’s fight #GBV & we also fight #COVID
Frank k. Tumwebaze, MP
Minister of Gender, Labour and Social development”.
