Tag Archives: gender justice

Gender Justice Dialogue

Gender and Transitional Justice in Uganda: Opportunities and Challenges

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Gender Justice Dialogue
Participants during the gender justice dialogue in Gulu

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), in collaboration with the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), held a one-day dialogue on opportunities and challenges for gender and transitional justice (TJ) on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at Churchill Courts in Gulu, northern Uganda. The event was attended by 33 participants from across the greater North, including Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions. Facilitators shared presentations on a range of topics relating to gender, including a review of the existing domestic and international frameworks, an analysis on the potential of domestic courts to try sexual and gender-based crimes, mainstreaming gender in traditional justice and truth-seeking processes, prospects of engendering TJ in Uganda through JLOS, protecting women’s rights in a post-conflict setting, a review of reparations and reconstruction programs from a women’s rights perspective, and building consensus and a way forward. Throughout the dialogue, there were also opportunities for participants to share their views and experiences and ask questions or provide comments on the facilitators’ presentations. The majority of participant feedback is captured in the four Reactions sections of this report.

To access the full report, click here.

Gender and TJ CSO Dialogue

Gender and TJ CSO Dialogue, 27 Sept 2011

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On September 27, 2011, JRP and ICTJ partnered to hold a one-day civil society dialogue on engendering transitional justice in Uganda. It focused on challenges and opportunities for a gender sensitive TJ program in Uganda, and participants developed a list of recommendations for the Government of Uganda and stakeholders. A report on the dialogue is forthcoming. The dialogue was held at Churchill Courts in Gulu and attended by over 30 participants from Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions.

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“A Childhood Cut Short,” Peace X Peace Blog, 19 Sept. 2011

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JRP’s Gender Justice Research Offier Nancy Apio wrote an article on formerly-abducted women that appeared in the Peace X Peace blog on September 19, 2011. To view the article on the Peace X Peace blog, click here. Otherwise, it has been re-posted in its entirety below.

“A Childhood Cut Short,” Peace X Peace Blog, 19 Sept. 2011
http://www.peacexpeace.org/2011/09/a-childhood-cut-short/

By Nancy Apiyo

Editor’s Note: Below, Nancy Apiyo tells the story of her countrywoman Anne, who was kidnapped by the Lord’s Resistance Army as a child.  Nancy works with women who were once abducted  at Justice and Reconciliation Project in Gulu, Uganda.

***

I always think about Anne. I wonder how she was able to go through that gruesome experience and still remain calm. She is a very gentle woman.  When you look at her you can never tell what she has hidden within her. It is a story of her life, a story she has to live with for the rest of her life.

One Sunday evening, when the sun was setting on the hills of Palaro Village in Gulu District, she was abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.  She was on her way from collecting firewood.  The sun was setting and the orange colour was so beautiful.  It was not a bad omen at all.  It was a sight she had always admired.  The last thing on her mind was the insecurity that had loomed over her village for so long.  She had heard of children who had been taken away from the village and never returned.  Others managed to escape and narrated horrible tales of what happened to them.  She heard stories about children who were forced to kill others.

Just as she was admiring the sunset and the beautiful sound from the birds that were singing, she heard a noise in the woods.  She was startled. Her blood became cold.   A huge man emerged from the woods. He was the ugliest man she had ever seen.  He had unkempt hair and red eyes.  He was a stranger in the village.  She did not know that he was one of the commanders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), one of the most notorious rebel groups in the world.  Their leader, Joseph Kony, was one of the most wanted men in the world.  Anne was nine years old at that time.  She was the older among her father’s children.  The man asked her where she was going.  He told her to put down her firewood and show him the way to the main road.  Her inner voice resisted. She knew it was a bad idea.  During that time the LRA had began to abduct children and turn them into child soldiers.  Girls carried luggage and also cooked for the rebels.  Some of the girls were turned into wives at a very tender age.  The man coaxed her to take him to the roadside.

That was how Anne was abducted.  She walked with the man and they met a group of children holding guns.  The guns seemed too big for them.  She thought they were holding them for the older soldiers. She did not know these were child soldiers.  These innocent children had already been turned to beasts.  She wondered if the boys would put down their guns and play with her.  One of the boys pointed a gun at her and told her to stop staring at him. That was when she realized  the child in the boy was no more. There was a short man living in him.  He was a soldier and not a playmate.  They spent a night in that place and the next day they began the journey to go to Sudan.

Before the journey to Sudan they were smeared with sheer nut oil, a ceremony the rebels did to indicate you were part of them. It took them one week to walk to Sudan.  I have always wondered how her fragile soft feet made it to Sudan.   She walks gently, like an ostrich, and it is hard to tell she ever walked that far.  If she had not been abducted perhaps she would have been a model. At 22 years, she is so beautiful.  Many children did not make it to Sudan. They died on the way.  Some were killed by the rebels because they were too tired to walk. By the time they reached Sudan, most of them had sore feet.

The journey to Sudan changed her life.  Her innocence left her. She stopped admiring the sunset. The sound of the birds singing in Sudan was not the same like in her village.   It was like her spirit left her.  She ceased to exist. All she could think of was how to survive with the rebels and escape back home one day.  She became part of the gruesome rebel group.

Anne returned home sixteen years later with five children. Her story gives me the courage to move on during difficult times. If she could survive with the rebels   and come back home, then if you are determined to do something you will achieve it. Anne never forgot about home.  To me she is the epitome of a strong, courageous young woman.

I always wonder if the abduction of so many children in Northern Uganda could have been avoided. It is time the human race found an alternative to wars.  We should put down guns and use our voices. We can talk to each other and resolve conflict.   The world is changing fast today.  Our hearts should also change.  We should stop acting like beasts. Let us talk instead of taking up firearms.   Anne’s life, like those of other women who were abducted, will never be the same again because of a war they don’t understand.  Her only hope is to share her story with the rest of the world so that others can learn from it.

Gender Justice and Reconciliation in Northern Uganda, Policy Brief No. 4

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By Sylvia Opinia and Friederike Bubenzer

JRP-IJR Policy Brief No. 4

This policy brief assesses the gender‐specific transitional justice (TJ) needs of survivors of gender‐based violence in Northern Uganda.

From November 2010 to February 2011, the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), in collaboration with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), organized a series of consultations with victims of conflict in Northern Uganda, entitled ‘Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates.’ The consultations, held in the Acholi/Lango, Teso, and West Nile sub‐regions, focused on truth‐telling, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice within the context of Uganda’s transitional justice processes.2 As part of the consultations, a separate session was held on the topic of gender justice and the extent to which it does / does not presently feature in Uganda’s transitional justice framework. Discussions at the consultations highlighted the need for Uganda’s unique gender relations and dynamics to be closely scrutinized and taken into consideration by policy‐makers in the development of transitional justice mechanisms.

The Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) is currently developing and implementing an accountability and reconciliation framework to deal with the legacies of conflict in Uganda. With the progress in the establishment of the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court, JLOS has undertaken a series of consultations in order to propose law and policy reforms in line with its mandate. This process presents an excellent opportunity to critically examine and document the widespread occurrence of gender‐based violence in Northern Uganda and the vast implications on individuals and communities.

This policy brief describes gender‐based violence, its occurrence and effects on local communities during and after the conflict in Northern Uganda, as well as the needs of the victims as expressed during the JRP‐IJR consultations. It concludes with a series of recommendations to the Government of Uganda through the Justice Law and Order Sector.

To download the full brief, click here.

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant

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JRP calabashJRP is seeking to recruit a Research Assistant for the Gender Justice Department to effectively and efficiently undertake research. S/he will assist the researchers in all stages of the research project from planning, implementation and evaluations.  Success in this position will depend on the candidate’s ability to work under minimum supervision, organize& conduct research and efficiency in handling children.

For more information on how to apply, view the vacancy announcement here.

Note: The deadline to submit an application is Friday, August 26, 2011.

JRP and IJR have embarked on a partnership to collect victims’ views on justice

Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates

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This report, “Enhancing Grassroots Involvement in Transitional Justice Debates: A Report on Consultations held with victims and civil society organizations in West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Teso Sub-regions in Northern Uganda,” is the product of consultations by JRP and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR).

Between November 2010 and February 2011, the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) in collaboration with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) organized a series of consultations with victims of the conflict in northern Uganda. These consultations were entitled “Enhancing grassroots involvement in transitional justice debates” and covered the themes of truth telling, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice.

The consultations were aimed at complementing the countrywide consultations by the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) on truth seeking and traditional justice. The key findings presented in the report are a synthesis of the victims’ voices on what their views are on truth seeking, traditional justice, reparations and gender justice.  

This report is aimed at informing JLOS and other relevant stakeholders working on issues pertaining to victims in northern Uganda about the needs of these victims, as expressed by the individuals themselves.

To access the full report, click here.

“Former LRA Victims Still Rejected by their Communities,” Uganda Radio Network, 3 Dec. 2010

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“Former LRA Victims Still Rejected by their Communities,” Uganda Radio Network, 3 Dec. 2010
http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=29959

By James Owich Ochora

A group of women, who were abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army when they were teenagers, say reintegration into their societies is a hard and arduous task. They say they are shunned by their families and stigmatized by their communities because of their perceived role in the rebellion.

It is not known exactly how many girls the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) abducted during its protracted war in northern Uganda. The number ranges anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000.

Most of the girls, who were prepubescent youth or teenagers at the time of their abduction, were forced to become sexual slaves of LRA fighters. Those who managed to escape returned with children. They came back traumatized and hardened by the war.

Amoi is a young woman in her early 20s who bore three children while in captivity. She is still fearful of retribution for the war and only identifies herself by her middle name.

Amoi says that when she returned to Uganda in 2002 she expected a warm welcome from her family. She says she was shocked by what awaited her. She was banished from the family land in Lira and is now forced to rent a small plot of land to grow food for her young family.

Amoi says her situation was desperate for several years. She only received a break recently when she obtained a loan from a micro finance organization.

Amoi is a member of Gen Obanga, an association formed by former LRA abductees.

Another member, who requests anonymity, says that like Amoi, she too has no access to land to build a house or cultivate. She says she and her children were rejected by their Bungatira sub-county in Gulu and are forced to live on handouts.

She says her children are regularly the subject of ridicule in her village and she cannot escape the shame of her captivity by the LRA.

The stories of the two women are included in a new compilation called ‘Ododo Wa.’ The compilation is a project of the Our Stories Program, which is documenting the experiences of women in captivity.

Ketty Anyeko, the program officer, says ‘Ododo Wa’ was initiated to give prominence to unrecorded experiences of war. She says that through the stories, the plight of the LRA victims will receive national prominence and cause a meaningful debate on post-war recovery. 

Anyeko says it is hoped that the project will also encourage affected communities to reconcile with the victims and aggressors of the war.

“Curbing violence against women is everyone’s task,” Daily Monitor, 1 November 2010

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 “Curbing violence against women is everyone’s task,” Daily Monitor, 1 November 2010

http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1044056/-/13u0io8z/-/index.html

By Lino Owor Ogora

 

I read with interest a press release by MIFUMI, a renowned women activist organisation, in Daily Monitor of October 27. MIFUMI accused the Police of further victimising women who take steps to defend themselves when confronted with sexual and domestic violence.

Some of these women went as far as killing their perpetrators. While MIFUMI’s concern is genuine regarding the fact that perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence are often not brought to book, while their victims are victimised through detention, I think they missed the point regarding the role of the Police.

Furthermore, the examples used in this press release may not be necessarily suitable as examples in the fight against domestic violence. There was the example of a woman called Koriang who allegedly shot and killed her husband with 30 rounds of ammunition as he slept.

Another example they used was of a woman called Mbabazi who sent a radio announcement claiming she had died yet in actual fact, she was alive. In another controversial example, they sympathised with a woman called Nuuru Namatovu, who buried baby dolls and was arrested by police on allegations of giving false information.

Another example used, and one I would sympathise with, is of a 14-year-old girl called Mpigiki, who killed a 40-year-old man who attempted to defile her. As expected of them, even in the case of Mpagiki, the Police responded in all the above situations and did what the law required of them – to arrest the suspects, detain them and wait for court to determine their destiny.

The Police acted responsibly and within the law. In the wake of a serious crime such as murder or manslaughter, the fact remains that the perpetrator is considered a killer first, before the facts and circumstances under which the crime was committed are analysed.

In the case of Koriang, the fact remains that she killed her husband using a gun and 30 rounds of ammunition. In analysing her case, the first and most obvious fact is that she is a killer. On further analysis, she was driven to the limits to do so because she could not stomach her husband’s abuse any longer. What did MIFUMI, therefore, expect the Police to do? To pick her up and deliver her to FIDA offices for counselling? Did her husband have to pay with his life?

While I agree that there is need to address the root causes of violence against women, I do not agree with MIFUMI’s allegation that the Police are victimising women who are in trouble with the law by detaining them.

The Police are doing their job by arresting them in the wake of a crime. Rather than blame the Police for ‘doing their work’, and doing it well at that, MIFUMI should intensify the campaign for ending violence against women, in which most peace-loving Ugandans like myself, would gladly join. MIFUMI should sensitise men regarding the fact that times have changed and it is no longer fashionable to batter a woman to prove your manhood.

MIFUMI should also sensitise both women and men to let them know the legal steps they can take in case they are victims of gender violence, and the channels through which they can seek redress, rather than resorting to violence. Finally, MIFUMI should intensify efforts to change existing laws rather than sending out misguiding press releases to the media.

Mr Ogora is a team leader of research and advocacy, Justice and Reconciliation Project, Gulu
ogoralino@gmail.com

Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010

Pursuing Justice for Women and Children in Northern Uganda: Observations from the field

Statements & Briefs, , , , , ,
Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010
Young women perform traditional dances during an event in Gulu district, 2010

Initiatives to end violence often focus on ‘silencing the gun’ and bringing home largely male combatants. As a result, girls and women who were captured, raped, and forced into marriage and childbearing by armed groups remain largely unacknowledged and ignored. In this statement, we focus on the unique justice and reconciliation issues facing young mothers and their children in northern Uganda who have returned from captivity. We offer specific recommendations to ensure their holistic well-being and successful reintegration into society.

To access the statement, click here.