From time immemorial, families have been central to human society, the basic social unit for the expression of love between man and woman and the creation or raising children. Similarly, in Uganda the family is the fundamental and basic unit of society. It serves its members as a reproductive unit,
socio-cultural and spiritual/moral base (Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, 2018). Download full document Here
This year’s International Day of the Family, has unprecedently been marked with a third of the global population staying in their homes with family due to the global lockdown. In Uganda, where movement of people remains largely restricted, men, women and children have had to stay at home in response to the presidential directives, since Wednesday, April 01, 2020 as part of effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
However, many have faced it rough observing the lockdown directives. One of the major reasons is lack of peace in their respective homes. The lockdown has forced families to either tolerate or appreciate each other’s shortcomings without having the ‘luxury’ of going to work or school as a means of escaping the heat at home. Downloaf Full Document Here
IFDay Blogs 2020_ Peaceful Family_Leah 8Violence against children, which the programme set out to fight, is widespread in Uganda. The recently launched National Violence Against Children Survey (2018) showed that violence against children occurs in homes, The violence is perpetuated by people who interact with children, especially parents and guardians.
Fifty nine percent of girls and 68% of boys have experienced physical violence. Sexual violence is experienced by 35% of girls and 17% of boys. Emotional violence is
experienced by 34% of girls and 36% of boys. Perpetrators of physical violence are mostly parents and caregivers, while those of sexual violence were
mostly neighbours, friends and intimate partners. Violence against children has many negative lifelong consequences on them, families and Government.
The state minister Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, said t is a major cause of physical and emotional complications such as low self esteem, physical disability and death. Nakiwala’s remarks were contained in a speech read by Shafik Butanda, the principal probation and welfare officer in the gender, labour and social development ministry.
This was during the passing out of over 200 participants who had undergone the PfR training in Ssisa sub-county. Nakiwala noted that research shows that boys who experience violence are likely to be violent in adulthood, while girls are likely to tolerate violence. Byekwaso added that such people continue with violence against their children. Many people parent by instinct or the way they are raised. Nakiwala noted that the Government spends a lot of money in rehabilitating and treating victims of violence in hospitals and prosecuting the perpetrators in
courts of law.