FIDA Uganda – the association of Uganda Women Lawyers, in partnership with the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate of Makerere University in a bid to implement a project on enhancing access to justice for students at the university yesterday held a Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Camp at Mitchell hall grounds within the institution.
This attempt, like the Feminists League that we reported about earlier on who wear black and orange every Friday, is intended to reduce the vulnerability of young women to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and build their capacity to seek accountability for rights violations through rights awareness and legal education.
During the camp, students confirmed that there is sexual violence and harassment taking place at the university and advised the organisers to work with the University to have more awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.
The students also pointed out that fellow students are not aware of where to report cases or where to go in the University for help.
Makerere has for a long time been a hub for sexual harrassment especially by the girl child from both lecturers and fellow students. Just last year, a girl almost committed suicide when she jumped out through a window three floors high after a sexual harrassment scare. The aftermath of that incident has never been made public.
“You see, what we want to see is efficiency in such incidents,” Charllote Ahabwe the leader of 21AV (the Feminist Movement against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Makerere) said.
She says that the challenge cannot be properly addressed when control measures are undertaken behind curtains.
“If a lecturer for instance is accussed of sexual harrassment and found guilty, sack him/her openly,” Ahabwe added.
There has been numerous reports and complaints by especially female students at public universities of sexual harassment, rape and intimate violence. According to our sources, meetings held by FIDA Uganda and the university officials, specifically within the Gender Mainstreaming and the Students Guild Leadership have reaffirmed the same.
The camp had three organisations, FIDA Uganda, the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) and the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) who over the course of the day shared information on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights with the students and also offered legal counsel. The students also received books and leaflets on legal rights.
FIDA will have a legal aid clinic at Senate Building 3rd Floor every Friday where students can get these services and more.
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