In new study conducted by top Makerere University researchers, it was discovered that majority of men living in slums and city suburbs were denied sex and openly humiliated by their spouses in front of their kids.
Titled “Building peaceful urban communities in Kampala amidst Covid-19”, the study was conducted by researchers from Makerere University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences between July and September with funding from the Research and Innovation Fund.
The researchers focused on social unrest and conflict during and beyond the Covid-19 lockdown as well as the conflict resolution mechanisms used in city slums of Makerere Kivulu, Kikoni, Katanga and Kisenyi.
Dr. Venranda Mbabazi, one of the researchers, disclosed that most men confessed about their sexual starvation, who also explained that their lovers openly embarrassed them before their kids over failure to provide basic needs.
“Majority of men were psychologically tortured due to their inability to provide as women often confronted and abused them hence triggering conflicts in homes,” Mbabazi said.
Over 24 local council leaders and 124 ordinary people were interviewed during the study which was dominated by male respondents (51%) and females were 49%.
According to Dr. Mbabazi, many men explained that they could not provide for their families during the lockdown following loss of their jobs. Apparently, the broke men returned home drunk in the night, leaving their women wondering where they got the money for booze.
“We found out that whereas men claimed being unable to provide for their families, they returned home drunk and this sparked off fights with their wives who asked where they had got the money to drink alcohol,” said Dr. Mbabazi.
The study also observed an increase in cases of divorce and early marriages as a result of closure of schools, increased labour and brutality from security operatives.
