UGANDA LOOSES 31 TRILLION SHILLINGS ANNUALLY TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE-REPORT.
A new report on budgeting for peace released by the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) has revealed that Uganda incurs substantial economic losses due to gender-based violence (GBV). The country loses an estimated Shs31 trillion annually as a result of the socio-economic impact of violence against women and girls.
The report indicates that these costs arise as individuals and households divert their hard-earned income to cover expenses related to post-violence services. These include sexual and reproductive health services, treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), abortion care, miscarriage management, legal aid for rape, defilement, and divorce cases, and survivor protection measures.
Patricia Munabi, Executive Director of FOWODE, expressed concern that despite the existence of policies and laws aimed at preventing and addressing GBV, Uganda continues to allocate significant resources to manage its consequences.
She emphasized the urgent need for increased government investment in combating violence against women and girls, noting that most of the current efforts in this area rely on funding from development partners.
Speaking at the report’s launch in Kampala yesterday, Munabi highlighted the potential benefits of preventing GBV. She argued that by addressing the root causes of violence, the country could save the Shs31 trillion and allocate these funds to other development priorities, such as establishing health centers and schools.
Veteran politician and women’s rights activist Miria Matembe, a member of FOWODE, linked the increasing prevalence of HIV among women and girls to the rising number of violence cases against them.
