Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:41 am
uganda
Time: 11:41 am
uganda
Results for uganda
162 total results foundAuthor: Darfur Consortium Title: Darfur: Abductions, Sexual Slavery and Forced Labour Summary: Research carried out by Darfur Consortium over the last two years, which included field research in three states of Darfur, has found that Government supported militia, like the Janjaweed and the Popular Defence Forces, together with the Sudanese Armed Forces, have systematically abducted civilians for the purposes of sexual slavery and forced labor as part of the Darfur conflict. This report concludes that there is an urgent need to protect civilians from abductions and other serious human rights violations. It calls on the Government of Sudan to disarm and disband the Janjaweed, the Popular Defence Forces and other militia and to fully cooperate with the United Nations and the African Union in order to address continuing human rights and humanitarian issues in Darfur. Details: Kampala, Uganda: 2009 Source: Year: 2009 Country: Uganda Keywords: Abductions Shelf Number: 115637 |
Author: Naker, Dipak Title: Violence Against Children: The Voices of Ugandan Children and Adults Summary: From the report: "[t]his study examines the stories and opinions of 1,406 children and 1,093 adults from five diverse districts in Uganda. Five complementary research methods including questionnaires, focus group discussions, narrative role plays, key informant interviews, and journal writing served to engage a broad range of individuals in sharing their experiences and perspectives on violence against children. Children were asked about their experiences of the violence used against them. Adults were asked about their perspective of violence against children." Details: Kampala, Uganda: Raising Voices and Save the Children in Uganda, 2005 Source: Year: 2005 Country: Uganda Keywords: Juveniles Shelf Number: 115386 |
Author: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Title: The Police, The People, The Politics: Police Accountability in Uganda Summary: This report looks at the concepts of democratic and accountable policing in the Ugandan context. It looks at the development of the Uganda Police Force, examines the issues that are facing the police, and considers the legislative and political frameworks within which the police operate. Finally, it looks at the kinds of reforms that need to take place in Uganda, and provides a road map of accountability mechanisms and suggested laws that will deliver Uganda’s people the democratic and accountable police service they need and deserve. Details: New Delhi: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 2006. 59p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2006 Country: Uganda Keywords: Police Accountability Shelf Number: 119530 |
Author: Enyimu, Joseph Title: A Review of the Uganda Police Force Budget and Its Effect on Crime Management Summary: This is a study on the impact of police funding on crime management and citizen safety in Uganda and is part of a broader study on budgetary allocations of the three police forces of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). The study examines trends in the Government of Uganda’s (GoU) budgetary allocations over the period 1999/2000 to 2003/2004 at the global, sector and sub-sector or programme levels. The study compares and analyses the priority implications of the relationships of budget allocation over the financial period 1999/00 to 2003/04 between: The Justice, Law and Order (JLO) Sector and other sectors; The Uganda Police Force (UPF) sub-sector and other sub-sectors under the JLO sector; The different programmes under the UPF; The UPF and other government security agencies. Based on the above analysis, the study makes conclusions on: The relative priority ranking of the JLO sector budget within GoU’s overall budget and its impact on crime management and citizen safety; UPF’s funding priorities and the implications for crime management and citizen safety. Details: New Delhi: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, 2006. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2010 at: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/uganda_report.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Uganda Keywords: Criminal Justice Administration Shelf Number: 119264 |
Author: Hague, Gill Title: Bride-Price, Poverty and Domestic Violence in Uganda Summary: This report outlines the key findings from the first-ever research study on Bride-Price, Poverty and Domestic Violence in Uganda, conducted as a response both to the growing interest in the practice of bride-price and to moves for its reform in Uganda and other countries in Africa. The research was undertaken between January 2008 and June 2009 through an international collaboration between MIFUMI, an NGO and women's rights agency based in Uganda working on domestic violence and poverty alleviation, and two UK research groups, the Violence Against Women Research Group, University of Bristol, and the Centre for the Study of Safety and Well-being, University of Warwick. The aims and objectives of the research were: To investigate, through an action research approach, the impacts of bride-price on the capabilities of women, children and families in terms of development, quality of life, health, decision-making and community participation; To explore possible inter-relations between bride-price and poverty; To investigate possible inter-relations between bride-price and domestic violence; To develop policy recommendations for Uganda, and to contribute to national, pan-African and global debates on bride price, including with the Ugandan government and through international protocols and the Kampala International Declaration on Bride-price; To develop a local action-oriented dissemination plan, including a collaboratively developed community awareness-raising programme to reach several thousand people; and To contribute to the Millennial Development Goal (MDG) framework, especially MDG3 on gender and empowerment. Details: Bristol, UK: MIFUMI Uganda, Violence Against Women Research Group, University of Bistol; Warwick, UK: Centre for the Study of Safety and Well-being, University of Warwick, 2009. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2010 at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/shss/swell/final_report_-_bride_price_poverty_and_domestic_vi.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Uganda Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 119920 |
Author: Moore, Marianne Title: Juvenile Detention in Uganda: Review of Ugandan Remand Homes and the National Rehabilitation Centre Summary: In Uganda, children in conflict with the law are principally the responsibility of the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development. However, the Uganda Police Force and the Judiciary of the Republic of Uganda are also important partners. Detained children are placed in one of the four remand homes in Fort Portal, Gulu, Naguru, or Mbale. In addition, the Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre detains sentenced children from the whole of Uganda. This review of the remand homes and the national rehabilitation centre was carried out during August 2010 in association with the UK and Ugandan charity the African Prisons Project and the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development. An assessment was conducted in all of the functioning juvenile detention facilities against their compliance with international guidelines, particularly the United Nations "Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their liberty 1990 (“The Havana Rules”). The field work consisted of an in depth interview with a representative from each centre or home and a site visit. Interviews were also carried out with the Commissioner for Youth and Children and representatives from the Ugandan based Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI). Following an introductory overview of juvenile justice in Uganda, the report deals with the following subjects: Profile of children in conflict with the law; Safeguarding children; Juvenile justice system; Conditions of detention; Healthcare; Education and training; and Community reintegration. The report makes 36 recommendations, and ends with a conclusion which notes areas of good practice as well as elements which require immediate attention, including a suggestion that an independent auditor be employed to ensure that the welfare of the children in conflict with the law in Uganda is upheld. Details: London: African Prisons Project, 2010. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: http://www.africanprisons.org/documents/Juvenile-Detention-in-Uganda-October-2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Uganda Keywords: Juvenile Corrections Shelf Number: 120088 |
Author: Raleigh, Christopher Title: Uganda Police Project Evaluation Summary: The Uganda Police Project ran, in two phases, from late 1990 to March 1998. Its main initial purpose was to help restore the capability of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) to maintain law and order and the confidence of the public. Later (1993) this was reformulated to cover the development of law and order in Uganda, thus creating an enabling environment for stability and sustained economic growth. The competence and reputation of the UPF had been badly damaged during the period between 1971 and 1986, when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government came to power. There was therefore an urgent need to enhance the capacity, increase the numbers, and improve the image of the UPF, but local resources to do this were severely constrained. UK support for the UPF had been provided on an ad hoc basis since 1986, mainly in the form of training and transport. The Uganda Police Project of 1990 represented an attempt to bring UK support together under one umbrella, and to promote wider institutional and management reforms. Detailed assessment of project impact is hampered by the indistinct nature of the project objectives, and the lack of assessable indicators of achievement. Nevertheless there appears to be a close correlation between the sustainability of different project components and their long-term recurrent cost to the UPF. The decision to structure the initial project around a Project Co-ordinator, resident in Kampala, enhanced not only the impact of advice from visiting consultants, but also the design of Phase II. The UPF and Ugandan Ministry of Finance were more optimistic about their ability to finance the local costs of the project than proved justified in the event. Their inability to fund even modest project support costs - local training materials, for example, or travel costs for trainees - although not fatal to the impact of the project as a whole, did have a more selective effect in those areas (notably the Police Workshop and, to an extent, local training) which depend on the availability of non-salary costs. Despite their occasionally differing perspectives, the British Development Division East Africa (BDDEA) and the British High Commission (BHC)combined well in managing the project. But arrangements for the provision of professional advice, particularly during Phase I, were less satisfactory. The project was instrumental in promoting a revised UPF statement of purpose and objectives, and in helping to re-organise the police command structure on a sounder basis. It had relatively little impact on financial planning. The training of police officers and support staff needs to be set in the context of a comprehensive human resource strategy if it is to focus on the strategic needs of the organisation and ensure that valuable skills gained in training are not wasted through unnecessary transfers. The latter has been a pervasive and wide-ranging problem for the UPF. The establishment of a fully staffed and equipped Training Planning Unit has however proved a significant achievement. The institutionalisation of community policing within the UPF, by means of a national system of Community Liaison Officers (CLOs), has helped to promote the advantages of a community approach in the minds of police and public alike. The obstacles, however, to a full realisation of the benefits of community policing remain formidable. The UPF tends to regard community policing primarily as a means of instructing local populations, rather than of listening to them. It thus learns less than it might, while doing little to mitigate its authoritarian image. It is important to recognise the distinctions between community policing in rural and in urban areas. A start has been made in creating a greater sense of gender awareness within the UPF, particularly since the gender awareness raising workshop conducted by BDDEA in Kampala in May 1996. But all too often gender issues are still seen exclusively as women’s issues. More needs to be done to institutionalise and strengthen the role of Family Protection Units (FPUs). Whether or not it appears to do so, aid support for the police involves issues of human rights. It also has potential political implications for the donor concerned. BDDEA was arguably slow to recognise the risks to the UK’s reputation if the UPF was to be found guilty of serious abuse of human rights while being supported by UK aid - although it is doubtful whether earlier recognition would in practice have affected this project’s design or implementation. Important issues of prioritisation and allocation can arise in the provision of police transport. Lack of local finance to maintain and improve the police workshops, and to procure spare parts, tools and materials, has proved seriously damaging to operational effectiveness. Had the maintenance position been clearer at the time it is questionable whether ODA should have proceeded with the provision of vehicles on the scale it did. The right kind of radio equipment can revolutionise communication between police stations and patrolling police officers, although by itself it may not lead to the introduction of more unarmed patrols. Comparing procurement arrangements for the two project phases there is little doubt that the use of competitive bidding, and of a specialist consultant with local knowledge, paid off handsomely in terms of improved technical performance. The value of training in specialist areas such as ballistics can be compromised if no specialist equipment is available locally. More generally, training can also be compromised by a personnel policy that does not specifically recognise its importance. A specialist contractor with local as well as UK representation will often be better placed than DFID to organise in-country training. The project’s impact has proved strongest in those areas where implementation has cost the UPF nothing, or where minimal costs have proved acceptable for wider reasons. Despite recognising the risk in theory, ODA in practice consistently over-estimated the Ugandan capacity to meet the project’s local costs, interpreting a condition of long-term chronic under-funding as one of short-term cash flow. The main lessons to emerge from this evaluation are: - i. local government agreement to meet local project costs does not exonerate DFID from considering whether such commitments are realistic; ii. DFID overseas offices need to think carefully about the provision of professional advice where this is not available locally. In some cases it may be possible to justify arrangements, if there are several interventions on-going or planned, that would not be possible to justify individually; iii. support for institutional strengthening needs to operate consciously within the orbit of the possible. This means, among other things, tailoring advice to what is likely to prove affordable; iv. replication of community policing from urban to rural areas needs to take account of differences in infrastructure, and transport, as well as local community needs and priorities. The importance of listening, as well as of telling, needs to be emphasised in police training on community policing; v. all too often gender issues are seen exclusively as women’s issues. If lasting progress is to be made in this area men (in particular) have to be persuaded otherwise. In the case of aid projects this means mainstreaming gender analysis and planning in project design; vi. whether or not it appears to do so, aid support for the police involves issues of human rights. These need to be recognised clearly in project design and documentation; vii. the value of specialist training may often depend on the availability of appropriate equipment. The two need to be thought about together; viii. there can be a marked difference between project indicators which look good (and may thus help project approval) and those which offer a realistic prospect of assessment. Those in DFID who approve projects, as well as those who design them, need to bear this in mind - and, when in doubt, to err in favour of the assessable; and ix. there is a difference between identifying risk and managing it. Both are important. Details: London: Evaluation Department, Department for International Development, 1998. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Evaluation Study EV591: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/60/22/35097498.pdf Year: 1998 Country: Uganda Keywords: Human Rights Shelf Number: 121226 |
Author: Rwengabo, Sabastiano Title: Neither Formal nor Marketized: Privatized Security in the Slum Areas of Kampala City, Uganda Summary: The simultaneity of commercialized/marketized; and non-formal, non-market, security arrangements in an urban setting brings new insights to our understanding of privatization of security. Security privatisation is a current global phenomenon with various dimensions and dynamics. There are aspects of privatized security whose understanding is vital for our appreciation of today’s security spectrum. The shift from state-centric security provisioning to the involvement of various non-state actors has changed the security landscape. It has necessitated new foci of analysis that transcend the focus on commercialized security. Beyond ‘the market for force’ and ‘selling security’ (Avant, 2001, 2007), new private security arrangements have emerged. These are not limited to organized private security providers like companies or criminals and rebels (Rwengabo, 2009): they extend to non-organized, non-formal private security mechanisms. So, privatization of security as understood in the literature (Jager & Kummel, 2007; Gounev, 2006; Bourne, 2004; Aketch, 2007; Gumedze, 2008) cascades beyond marketization and formalization, to informalization as well. Studies of privatization of security are yet to address the question of informalization of security. This study attempts to address security informalization to break ground for newer approaches to the understanding of non-formal and non-market security arrangements in our midst. It was carried out in the slum areas of Kampala City, Uganda. There is general lack of policy-specific and scholarly, attention, to Uganda’s urban security spectrum. The need for an in-depth investigation contributing to knowledge and developing new insights on privatized security also abounds. The steady increase in private security actors leaves unanswered, the question of whether states as actors charged with providing security has given way to non-state actors in the management of security, and why this development. The phenomenon calls for deeper analyses extending the understanding of security to unravel non-formal, non-market security mechanisms developed in slum areas, and interrogate the role of the state in supporting and/or frustrating these informal arrangements. Moreover the development of non-formal and non-market private security has implications for governing the security sub-sector. This study sought to examine these security arrangements amongst slum dwellers; how these arrangements impact on security provisioning in urban settings; and thereby draw implications of the increasing private security services provision for the management of urban security. I hypothesize that new private security arrangements have emerged, including non-commercialized, non-formal security mechanisms, and that these arrangements are inevitable at present. Within this milieu explaining the increase in private security actors in Kampala; examining non-formal, non-market private security mechanisms developed in Kampala’s slum areas, and how these impact on urban security provisioning; and understanding the role of the state and the Uganda Police Force (UPF) in the management of urban security alongside these private interventions are herein attempted. Non-formal, non-market security measures are only loosely and informally institutionalized: they are based an individual or small-group basis, with limited, if any, transactions involved. Data were acquired through group discussions and in-depth interviews with deliberately selected private security actors, UPF personnel, security and Local Government personnel; and residents of slum areas; observations of physical security-enhancing structures on the one hand and security-threatening behaviors and structures on the other; and critical review of secondary sources and related literature. This case study is a reflection on Kampala to make tentative conclusions about other cities in the region. Content analysis was used: themes and sub-themes were developed along the study objectives, with subsequent data analysis along the themes/sub-themes. The study discovered that informal and non-market security interventions at the individual and group levels account for a significant constituent of urban safety and security in Kampala. True, both state and commercialized security providers exist. But these do not serve the whole city, and especially the urban poor in slum areas. The private security actions and behaviors of slum dwellers do not fit the category of commercialization. It is concluded that various security mechanisms exist in Kampala’s slum areas, with UPF backing people’s own arrangements. The study recommends that government needs to combat the increasing urban crime to improve on urban security, to support and encourage the ‘security begins with you’ ethos; and address urban infrastructure challenges limiting effective security by police. More studies are needed to bolster our understanding of urban security. Details: Santiago de Chile: The Global Consortium on Security Transformation (GCST), 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: New Voices Series, No. 12: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/publicaciones/201_New_Voices_Series_12_-_Neither_Formal_nor_Marketized.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Neighborhoods and Crime Shelf Number: 121241 |
Author: Uganda Human Rights Commission and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Title: “The Dust Has Not Yet Settled” Victims’ Views on The Right to Remedy and Reparation A Report from the Greater North of Uganda Summary: This report outlines the views and priorities of victims of serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law which resulted from the conflict between the Government of Uganda and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). It details the serious violations that victims and victim-focused civil society organisations (CSOs) believe should trigger their right to remedy and reparation. Their priorities for remedy focus primarily on truth-recovery and accountability for harms committed. Recognising that reparations constitute remedies, their priorities for reparation rights include: physical and mental health services, education services, assistance to recover housing, land and inheritance, rebuilding of livelihoods, empowering of youth, public acknowledgement of harm and apologies, information on the disappeared, and the proper treatment of the dead. The report incorporates a strong gender focus and analysis. The report provides victims, CSOs, the Ugandan authorities, the United Nations, development partners, non-governmental organisations, and foreign agencies and specialists in transitional justice with a detailed outline of victims’ rights to remedy and reparation in international law. It also highlights the remedy and reparation principles and parameters outlined in the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation, one of the five agreements (collectively known as the Juba Protocols) concluded in talks between the Government of Uganda and the LRA in Juba, Southern Sudan in 2006-2008. The Agreement1 and its Annexure2 form the basis on which the Government of Uganda is drawing key principles to frame policies, legislation, and programmes to determine facts around the conflict (itself a form of remedy)and determine the parameters and modalities for reparation. Details: Kampala, Uganda: Uganda Human Rights Commission and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2011. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2012 at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Press/WebStories/DustHasNotYetSettled.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Human Rights (Uganda) Shelf Number: 125068 |
Author: Pavic, Sonja Title: Upcoming Events Latest IHRP News • IHRP clinic student, Sylvie McCallum-Rougerie, reports back from Kenya • Canada’s management of prisoners with serious mental health issues viola Summary: Keeping detainees in prison for long periods without trial is in violation of the Uganda Constitution and international human rights law, finds Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) and the IHRP at the University of Toronto in a joint report released today. The report entitled “Presumed Innocent, Behind Bars: The Problem of Lengthy Pre-trial Detention in Uganda” is based on analysis of the situation in eight Ugandan prisons and calls on the Ugandan government to take urgent action to address this major problem in the justice system. Details: Brussels: Avocats Sans Frontières asbl; Kampala, Uganda: Avocats Sans Frontières in Uganda, 2011. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2012 at: http://www.utorontoihrp.com/index.php/resources/working-group-reports/cat_view/10-working-group-and-clinic-reports/31-presumed-innocent-behind-bars-the-problem-of-pre-trial-detention-in-uganda- Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Human Rights Shelf Number: 125350 |
Author: Pavic, Sonja Title: Presumed Innocent, Behind Bars: The Problem of Lengthy Pre-trial Detention in Uganda Summary: Keeping detainees in prison for long periods without trial is in violation of the Uganda Constitution and international human rights law, finds Avocats Sans Frontires (ASF) and the IHRP at the University of Toronto in a joint report released today. The report entitled - Presumed Innocent, Behind Bars: The Problem of Lengthy Pre-trial Detention in Uganda - is based on analysis of the situation in eight Ugandan prisons and calls on the Ugandan government to take urgent action to address this major problem in the justice system. Details: Brussels: Avocats Sans Frontières asbl; Kampala, Uganda: Avocats Sans Frontières in Uganda, 2011. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2012 at: http://ihrp.law.utoronto.ca/utfl_file/count/documents/WorkingGroup_Clinic/Presumed%20Innocent%20-%20report%20on%20lengthy%20pre-trial%20detention.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Pretrial Detention (Uganda) Shelf Number: 125340 |
Author: Delavande, Adeline Title: Violent Conflicts and Risky Sexual Behavior in Uganda Summary: This paper investigates the relationship between violent conflicts and risky sexual behavior in Uganda. The authors use geographical and temporal variation in conflict intensity and a difference-in-differences approach to evaluate how individual exposure to conflicts in the past 5 years influences the decision to engage in risky sex. They find that exposure to more conflicts leads to safer sex practice. They further investigate how the relationship between risky sexual behavior and violent conflict exposure varies depending on the malaria risk in the region where individuals live. They find a heterogeneous effect highlighting that behavioral response to an increase in conflict exposure varies by the burden of diseases an individual faces: additional conflict exposure leads to safer sex practice in places with high malaria-related mortality and to riskier sex practice in places with low malaria-related mortality. Details: Brighton, UK: MICRON,2011. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: MICROCON Research Working Paper 60; Accessed July 18, 2012 at: http://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/violent-conflicts-and-risky-sexual-behavior-uganda Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: HIV (Viruses) Shelf Number: 125662 |
Author: Bromley, Tom Title: Development AND Gorillas? Assessing fifteen years of integrated conservation and development in south-western Uganda Summary: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are two afromontane forests considered as extremely important biodiversity areas, with global significance, due to their population of highly endangered Mountain Gorilla. Threats to the two parks include uncontrolled exploitation of forest resources as well as fire damage and the indirect pressures of demand for land. In response to these threats, a range of “integrated conservation and development” strategies have been applied in and around Bwindi and Mgahinga. This report summarises the findings of a study which tested the effectiveness of these strategies in reconciling biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development interests. It confirms the validity of the assumption that linking local people to a resource and helping generate a steady stream of benefits increases willingness to manage and protect that resource, over the long term but notes inconclusive evidence that providing alternative livelihoods is an effective conservation strategy. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 2010. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2013 at: http://pubs.iied.org/14592IIED.html Year: 2010 Country: Uganda Keywords: Biodiversity Shelf Number: 128108 |
Author: Muthegheki, Saad Baluku Title: An Exploratory Study of Bride Price and Domestic Violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda Summary: This report presents findings of an exploratory research study on the links between the practice of bride price and gender based violence in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda, the first of its kind in this part of the country. It was designed as a response to the growing interest in bride price and to provide information to assist in the mitigation of the negative impacts of this traditional practice. Bride price is used to validate customary marriages and is very common in many African countries. Typically, bride price consist of a contract between families where material items (often cattle or other animals) or money are paid by the groom to the bride’s family in exchange for the bride and invariably her labor and her capacity to produce children. Although much anecdotal evidence exists about the traditional practice of bride price as practiced in most Ugandan communities, there has been very little research to provide details on how this practice impacts on people’s lives. Such data would be valuable in informing the public, government, policy makers, duty bearers and other institutions that are working on the issue both in Uganda and Africa as a whole. The study was part of a gender based violence research development initiative across East and Central Africa. Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) a community based organization (CBO) and human rights agency working on sexual and gender based violence conducted the study, with technical support from the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment in Kenya and the Gender and Health Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council. The exploratory study focused on gaining insights into the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to bride price as well as its relationship with domestic violence in Bundibugyo district in Western Uganda. The research team conducted 12 focus group discussions (145 participants), 12 key informant interviews with community leaders and 9 semi-structured in-depth interviews with men and women in the communities. The study found bride price is a very strongly rooted cultural practice with all participants largely supportive of its existence. However commercialization has changed the practice over time and its essential meaning has been eroded creating obstacles in current times. The study showed the struggle many young men have in trying to meet the demands of this practice- particularly poor young men who could not pay bride price and tried to find alternative ways to meet societal demands. Although some participants viewed bride price as a form of protection for women within marriages by providing them respect, status and acknowledgement within society, the process and payment also prescribed their roles in the marriages and ensured women’s subordination to husbands which invariable condoned the abuse of wives. On the other hand men could lose status and respect if they were not able to pay bride price. The study has pointed to the need to engage with communities and the state on how to mitigate the negative impacts of bride price on these communities. Details: Bundibugyo: Centre for Humjan Rights Advancement; Cape Town, South Africa: South African Medical Research Council, Gender and Health Research Unit, 2012. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Uganda Keywords: Bride Price (Uganda) Shelf Number: 128215 |
Author: Moyini, Yakobo Title: Opportunities and Strategies for Wildlife Trade Sector in Uganda Summary: Wildlife trade in Uganda was officially recognised as one of the wildlife use rights in the Wildlife Act (2000). The main institution charged with regulating wildlife trade is the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Uganda, as a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has two other important authorities that regulate trade in wildlife. The Management Authority (MA) for CITES in Uganda is in the Ministry of Tourism Trade and Industry (MTTI), and the Technical Authority (TA) is the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST). Internationally, wildlife trade is booming. The major exporters are largely from the Asian continent and they include: Malaysia, Singapore, China and others, while the major importers are the United States, the European Union and Japan. The international wildlife trade was valued at US$15 billion in 2001, excluding the trade in fish and timber, which are included in the mainstream economic activities usually under the agriculture sector for many countries, certainly for Uganda. In Uganda, wildlife trade largely consists of the trade in birds, amphibians and reptiles. Even though, trade in Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) occurs at a fair scale it is largely unregulated or monitored and the actual volume or value of trade in unknown. Regulated wildlife trade brings in less than US$ 3 million per year making the wildlife sector very small indeed as compared to even small components of the agricultural sector like cotton, which fetches US$ 16 million, and much smaller than tourism, which records over US$ 160 million. In fact, the Uganda Investment Authority has not indicated the wildlife sector as one of the key sectors for investment; except the commercial rearing of crocodiles, which again is considered under skins and hides another component of the agricultural sector (livestock products). Future opportunities for wildlife trade in Uganda lie in diversification into other commodities such as ornamental fish and NWFPs, and intensification (farming) of crocodiles, tortoises, birds, chameleons and others. However, the present challenges largely include: the limited human resource capacity among regulators of the industry and the traders and business service providers and business regulators (Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda Export promotions Board and Uganda Investment Board and others); Infrastructure in Uganda is inadequate roads and poor electricity supply in several areas where wildlife farms could be located; Poor data management and monitoring of trade in some wildlife products especially NWFPs. In addition, the costs of operation in a landlocked country, where wildlife trade depends on air transport are rather high. However, there is an even stronger need that is to ensure that whatever the motivation and profitability of wildlife trade the standard of wildlife conservation has grown over the years should not be compromised. Details: Kampala, Uganda: Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry/United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) Export Development Programme, 2011. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Uganda Biotrade Programme: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: http://www.biotrade.org/ResourcesNewsAssess/Uganda_wildlife_opps_stategies.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Wildlife Conservation Shelf Number: 128776 |
Author: Vaughan, Jenny Title: Cattle Raiding in Karamoja: A Conflict and Market Assessment Summary: The Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda is among the poorest and most insecure areas in the world. Cattle raids, theft, poor agricultural productivity, illiteracy, abysmal maternal and child health, aid dependency, and the breakdown of traditional semi-nomadic livelihoods combine to prevent the estimated 1.2 million Karamojong from living secure and productive lives. Since 2009, Mercy Corps has implemented both peacebuilding and economic development programs in the region. The agency has sought to integrate these approaches, motivated in part by the growing body of research linking poverty, slow economic growth, and conflict. Mercy Corps aims to develop holistic programming that will address both economic needs and conflict – interventions that will build peace by eliminating the underlying economic causes of conflict and, at the same time, open the doors to development by reducing violence. To better understand the relationship between economic development and conflict, as well as the underlying drivers of cattle raiding, Mercy Corps conducted a combined conflict and market assessment in October 2010. The assessment included a literature review, 23 key informant interviews, and 12 focus group discussions. Details: Portland, OR: Mercy Corps, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 25, 2013 at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Mercy%20Corps%20KaramojaConflict%26MarketAssessment%20June%202011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Cattle Raiding (Uganda) Shelf Number: 129160 |
Author: Karugonjo-Segawa, Roselyn Title: Pre-trial Detention in Uganda Summary: Despite a legal framework that is, on the whole, compliant with international human rights standards, implementation of the procedural safeguards for arrest and detention is weak in Uganda. Most pretrial detainees are victims of arbitrary arrests and do not enjoy the rights that accrue to them during their arrest and detention. Sometimes this is based on inadequate police training and capacity for criminal investigations, discrimination, political interference and corruption, among others. Detainees who are poor and cannot afford legal services often remain in custody for a longer time. Prolonged pre-trial detention has adverse effects on the rights of detainees to a fair and speedy trial. Detainees are often held in overcrowded facilities, which may have an impact on their health and which increases their risk of being subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Most detention facilities in Uganda are not suitable for housing detainees, and there are frequent challenges in providing food, water and other basic necessities such as hygiene, sanitation and bedding. Moreover, many of these facilities are dilapidated, overcrowded and have inadequate space, lighting and ventilation. Most inmates do not have access to adequate food and water especially in police cells. Inmates often lack clothing and bedding, access to health services, facilities for personal hygiene and access to opportunities for exercise. There are oversight and accountability mechanisms at the national and international level. National mechanisms include both the internal and external mechanisms, but these are weak and need to be strengthened if they are to contribute to improved accountability. The mechanisms at the regional and international level also provide such opportunities, but cannot work in isolation, and need to be understood as complementing national measures. Therefore, for the regional and international mechanisms to work, it is important for them to work in cooperation with the state, and other national mechanisms. Details: Mowbray, South Africa: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, 2012. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: APCOF Policy Paper No. 4: Accessed October 28, 2013 at: http://www.apcof.org/files/173_Pretrial_Detention_Uganda.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Uganda Keywords: Arrest and Apprehension Shelf Number: 131495 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "Where Do You Want Us to Go?" Abuses against Street Children in Uganda Summary: Over half of all Ugandans are under the age of 15 and children are the single largest demographic group living in poverty. Street children in Uganda's urban centers face the risk of violence, abuse, and discrimination at the hands of the police and the population at large. They lack basic necessities, including access to clean water, food, medical attention, shelter, and education. Based on interviews with over 130 current and former street children, "Where Do You Want Us to Go?" documents human rights violations against street children by the police, local government officials, older street children and adults, and members of the community. Police and other officials, such as those from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), have beaten, extorted money, and arbitrarily detained street children often in roundups. Although Uganda has put in place a legal framework designed to protect child rights, including those of street children, key state child protection agencies are failing to respond adequately or effectively to the needs of these children. Human Rights Watch calls on the government of Uganda to end to the roundups and abuses against street children and implement its child protection system. Those responsible for abuse, including police and officials, should be investigated and prosecuted. International partners should consider supporting civil society organizations involved in child protection and activities directly targeting street children throughout the country. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/uganda0714_forinsert_ForUpload.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 132705 |
Author: KidsRights Title: No Small Sacrifice: Child Sacrifice in Uganda, in a global context of cultural violence Summary: Every week, children in Uganda disappear when parents arent watching. Later, children are found dead or alive, with blood or body parts missing. In many of these cases, parts were removed by witch doctors when the children were still alive, in a ceremonial ritual of sacrifice. Such sacrificial rituals, and the subsequent wearing, burying or eating of a childs body parts, are thought to bring business success, personal prosperity and health. Middle-class clients often begin with standard herbal remedies and animal sacrifices, but are subsequently persuaded by witch doctors to part with a large sum of money for Big Blood. This practice is not traditional in Uganda; it has embedded itself within traditional customs in recent times, and cases continue to rise. It is also reported in Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Swaziland, Liberia, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Most crimes go unreported, and despite Ugandas anti-witchcraft laws, most witch doctors act without fear of prosecution. Many of the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are violated by the practice of child sacrifice. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which Uganda adopted in 1991, is also contravened. Uganda ranks 137th out of 165 countries in the KidsRights Index, a measurement for the national implementation of childrens rights; it is noted that government resources allocated for children are very limited and insufficient. The Witchcraft Act makes witchcraft technically illegal in Uganda, but drafted during colonial times, the act lacks modern credibility and is rarely enforced. In 2009, the Anti-Human Sacrifice Taskforce was created within the Ugandan police, but it lacks the resources and manpower to monitor and investigate cases of child sacrifice. According to UNICEF, it exists in name only. Witch doctors, favoured by the rising middle classes, have powerful links with those in positions of power in Uganda, and the lack of resources may also reflect a lack of political will. Roughly 80% of people in developing countries depend upon traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. In Uganda, there are around 650,000 registered traditional healers, and an estimated 3 million in practice. Hidden among these are the unscrupulous witch doctors who perform vicious crimes in the name of healing. Due to insufficient data and thorough research, the real scope of the spread of child sacrifice is not yet visible. But is as such expected to be far more widespread in the Uganda society. Change cannot come soon enough. There is an urgent need for additional research and data collection to disclose the probably widespread child sacrifice practices. The government of Uganda must ensure that child sacrifice is dealt with by an effective system of criminal prosecution. Traditional healers must be properly regulated, and the healers themselves encouraged to speak out against the crimes committed in their name. The Anti-Human Sacrifice Taskforce must be properly equipped to carry out its duties and to pursue every case of child sacrifice to prosecution. Finally, measures must be put in place to ensure that victims of child sacrifice are supported medically, emotionally, socially and materially, as they live with the consequences of the most unthinkable crime. Details: Amsterdam: KidsRights Foundation, 2014. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2014 at: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRights%20report-No%20Small%20Sacrifice%20digitaal%20final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Child Homicide Shelf Number: 133088 |
Author: International Alert Title: Youth, Peace and Security in Uganda Summary: This study provides an insight into the situation of young people in Uganda by highlighting the challenges they face and their impact on peace and security. At the same time, it assesses the social, political and economic environment of young people, with a special focus on development programmes, employment and wellbeing. The study also points to the potential of youth to contribute to peace and security and goes on to propose policy recommendations for different stakeholders. Previous studies on the youth - in particular, International Alert's recent publications - demonstrate the challenges experienced by Ugandan youth, and how these could provoke conflict and insecurity in the country. Against this background, this study analyses how the youth's position on identity, exclusion and marginalisation, unemployment and access to opportunities may be a source of instability if due attention is not given to these issues. On the other hand, the potential of youth could also be an opportunity worth tapping into, possibly leading to positive development. The study is based primarily on a systematic review and interpretation of Alert's previous reports, namely: Youth Perspectives on Identity and National Unity in Uganda; Youth Participation in Government Programmes in Uganda; Youth Perceptions on Economic Opportunity in Northern Uganda - Findings from Acholi and Lango; and a special issue of the Journal of Development Studies: Perspectives on Youth and Development. This literature was enriched by additional data on youth perspectives on the political economy collected from young people living in and around Kampala - mainly youths from institutions of higher learning, but also working youths. Details: London: International Alert, 2014. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 4, 2014 at: http://www.international-alert.org/sites/default/files/Uganda_YouthPeaceSecurity_EN_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Delinquency Prevention Shelf Number: 133965 |
Author: Walker, David Title: Sexual exploitation of adolescent girls in Uganda. The drivers, consequences and responses to the 'sugar daddy' phenomenon Summary: The phenomenon of cross-generational sex - defined as sexual relationships between an adolescent and a partner who is older, usually by 10 or more years - can be linked to many immediate and life-long negative consequences for both girls and boys. These can include entering into transactional sexual relationships - one in which the exchange of commodities and obligations can be considered as payment - as well as increased exposure to major health risks and several foregone opportunities. In development studies and other disciplines, the study of these exploitative relationships has largely been neglected, or examined as a public health issue - most often with respect to HIV&AIDS. Systematic examinations of cross-generational sex as a child protection issue - in which the impacts of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation are highlighted - are negligible, and are desperately needed to help development practitioners understand the issue and find long-lasting solutions. This study therefore seeks to understand the multiple and overlapping reasons behind cross-generational relationships in Uganda, as well as associated interventions, in order to promote more comprehensive responses to the issue. Through on-the-ground research we explore the consequences of adolescent experiences of these exploitative relationships, and analyse the extent to which policy and programming are currently failing this phenomenon. In particular, the research looks at the extent to which income poverty collates with discriminatory social norms in Uganda which contribute to this particular form of child protection violation. The study is part of a two-year Oak Foundation-funded programme of work that explores the potential for greater linkages between child protection and anti-poverty work in low- and middle-income countries. It is one of three country case studies that looks at sexual violence and exploitation, physical violence, early marriage and inadequate care, and their relationship to income poverty in Uganda, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Details: London: Overseas Development Agency, 2014. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2014 at: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9274.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Adolescents Shelf Number: 134291 |
Author: Stites, Elizabeth Title: Engaging Male Youth in Karmaja, Uganda: An examination of the factors driving the perpetration of violence and crime by young men in Karamoja and the applicability of a communications and relationships program to address related behavior Summary: This report concludes the Engaging Male Youth in Karamoja project funded by the Learning on Gender and Conflict in Africa (LOGiCA) Trust Fund of the World Bank. The study focused on the role of male youth and violence in southern Karamoja and tested the impact of an adapted communication and relationships intervention on violence and criminal activities. Multiple aspects relating to security and the identity of male youth, including interpersonal and domestic violence, criminal behavior, attitudes and perceptions, livelihood adaptations, and the status of male youth within their communities, were examined. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2014. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: LOGICA Study Series No. 3: Accessed January 21, 2015 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/11/17/000470435_20141117095848/Rendered/PDF/926600WP0Box380A0StudySeriesNo30UGA.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 134430 |
Author: Sheahan, Frances Title: A Shared Sentence: Children of imprisoned parents in Uganda Summary: It is estimated that 200,000 children in Uganda have a parent in prison at any one time. Children of prisoners in Uganda and across Africa face many violations of their rights when their parents or primary caregivers are arrested and detained. They are confronted with the trauma of separation but also have to contend with subtle and not so subtle stigma and discrimination because of their parent's involvement with the criminal justice system. Children living in prison with their mothers often live in intolerable conditions with inadequate access to nutrition, play and education. In 2013, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child adopted its first ever General Comment on the rights of children when their parents or primary caregivers are in conflict with the law. This research conducted jointly by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative and PRI assesses to what extent the guidance contained in the General Comment has been implemented in Uganda, highlighting some of the gaps that need to be filled. Details: London: Penal Reform International; Kampala, Uganda: Foundation for Human Rights Initiative: 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2016 at: http://www.penalreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/PRI_FHRI-Report_-Implementation-of-GC-No1-WEB.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Uganda Keywords: Children of Prisoners Shelf Number: 137933 |
Author: Rockmore, Marc Title: The Cost of Fear: The Welfare Effect of the Risk of Violence in Northern Uganda Summary: Although the effects of insecurity are believed to be important, these have never been directly measured. Previous estimates of the costs of conflict have only captured the joint effect of violence and insecurity. The distinction is important for understanding the origins of the costs and for policy design. Spatially disaggregated measures of insecurity are created based on the spatial-temporal variation in the placement of violence. These are used to generate the first estimates of the relative causal contributions of the risk and experience of violence. The article also provides the first micro-data based counterpart to the cross-country literature on the costs of conflict. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2016. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 7642: Accessed April 20, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2765253 Year: 2016 Country: Uganda Keywords: Economics of Crime Shelf Number: 138707 |
Author: Mwedde, Geoffrey Title: Cutting the Roots of Wildlife Crime: Local People's Preferences for Wildlife Crime Reduction Policies Summary: Several studies have cited people living in the neighbourhood of protected areas as the perpetrators of illegal use of wildlife resources. As a result, several interventions led by State and non-State actors to address these negative practices have targeted this category of people. However, the success of these interventions is not straightforwardly determinable, if not limited, because interventions fail to take into consideration the factors that cause people to engage in illegal practices. In the presence of multiple policy options, it is critical that the often scarce resources are invested in policies and interventions that give the greatest satisfaction to those likely to engage in wildlife crime in order to attain the desired behavioural change. This research, conducted in villages around Murchison Fall and Queen Elizabeth protected areas in Uganda, evaluated people's preferences for policies aimed at reducing wildlife crime using the Stated Choice Experiment method. Results show that people strongly preferred and generated more perceived benefits from (i) allocating 50% of revenue sharing funds (which hitherto have largely been used for development activities) to human wildlife conflict mitigation, (ii) establishment of eco-friendly enterprises and (iii) employing of eco-guards. Preference for the first two options was most probably driven by the devastation that park adjacent communities suffer as a result of negative wildlife related effects such as crop raiding as well as need to improve livelihoods. Increasing probability of detecting offenders was surprisingly strongly preferred compared to the status quo, implying people's support for wildlife conservation. Unexpectedly, respondents had no significant preference for allowing of hunting in national parks compared to the current situation where no hunting is allowed. Whilst this research identified the most preferred options for the reduction of wildlife crime, complementarity between the different options and interventions needs to be considered during implementation. A more thorough assessment the implementation contexts is recommended before a chosen option is carried out and, more crucially, long-term engagement and commitment of resources by implementers is necessary for sustained impacts to be realized. Details: London: Imperial College London, 2015. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.iccs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Mwedde_Geoffrey_Consci_2015_.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Uganda Keywords: Wildlife Conservation Shelf Number: 139310 |
Author: Harrison, Mariel Title: Wildlife Crime: A Review of the Evidence on Drivers and Impacts in Uganda Summary: Wildlife crime is an issue of considerable international concern. And with the recent increase in the illegal wildlife trade, and the increasing militarisation with which some kinds of wildlife crime are carried out, concern is growing. Poverty is often cited as a driver of wildlife crime, but wildlife crime, and responses to it, can also have negative impacts on poor people. Using Uganda as a case study, we review the evidence for the following potential linkages. Is poverty a driver of wildlife crime? What impacts does wildlife crime have on poor people? And what impacts do responses to wildlife crime have on poor people? Despite contradictory evidence, we conclude that poverty is one driver of wildlife crime among many, and that in general wildlife crime tends to have positive impacts on poor people who engage in it. Improved monitoring and evaluation would allow us to more confidently determine the impact of responses to wildlife crime on local people. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 2015. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17576IIED.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Uganda Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade Shelf Number: 139322 |
Author: Edstrom, Jerker Title: Therapeutic Activism: Men of Hope Refugee Association Uganda Breaking the Silence over Male Rape in Conflict-related Sexual Violence Summary: Men's experiences as victims of sexual and gender-based violence remain little recognised in research, policy or practice. Mainstream narratives generally continue to depict men as perpetrators of violence and women as victims. Yet, having been linked to forced migration in contexts of armed conflict, sexual violence against men is slowly becoming recognised as far more widespread than was previously thought. Responding to this, the Institute of Development Studies approached the Refugee Law Project and Men of Hope Refugee Association Uganda in order to jointly design and carry out a study on collective action among male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. This report explores one central question addressed by the study: 'despite the odds stacked against them, what makes it possible for male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence to organise and become activists, challenging discriminatory social and gender norms?' The study finds that, despite pervasive discrimination, groups of male survivors have been able to develop resilience and mutual support through collective action. Further, the study finds that third-party service providers and non-governmental organisations can play an important support role in reinforcing the resilience and capacity of male survivors to organise collectively. The report addresses the overarching question through three main sub-questions: 1.How can looking at male survivors of sexual violence help us understand the complexity of men's relationship to sexual and gender-based violence? 2.How and why do groups of male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence respond to their experiences of violence, oppression, stigmatisation and marginalisation, including as refugees? 3.How does the individual agency of male survivors of sexual violence living as refugees interact with collective action to respond to the experience of violence and marginalisation? Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2016. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Empowerment of Women and Girls, Evidence Report No. 182: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/9995/ER182_TherapeuticActivismMenofHopeRefugeeAssociationUgandaBreakingtheSilenceoverMaleRapeinConflictrelatedSexualViolence.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2016 Country: Uganda Keywords: Conflict Violence Shelf Number: 139444 |
Author: Travers, Henry Title: Nature's stewards: how local buy-in can help tackle wildlife crime in Uganda Summary: High levels of illegal resource use in two of Uganda's national parks show the need to rethink current approaches to combatting wildlife crime. Our research suggests that more than 40 per cent of households living adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls national parks have been involved in illegal hunting within the past year, mostly to catch bushmeat for local sale and consumption. Most hunters do not typically target high value internationally traded species, but may occasionally kill them as 'bycatch.' Though rare, this phenomenon has a significant cumulative impact. Effectively tackling the root causes of illegal hunting will require longer-term and more focused engagement between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and communities. Local people and wildlife officials identified mitigating human-wildlife conflict, supporting sustainable livelihoods and increasing employment opportunities as promising avenues for further investigation. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 2015. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17354IIED.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Uganda Keywords: Illegal Hunting Shelf Number: 140240 |
Author: Schipper, Irene Title: No Golden Future: Use of child labour in gold mining in Uganda Summary: Child labour is a significant social and economic problem in Uganda. The combination of an extremely young population, large numbers of vulnerable children and orphans, high levels of child poverty and a failing education system has pushed 51 per cent of all children aged between 5 and 17 into work. Across the country, more than one in four children (26 per cent) are defined as child labourers. A large number of children work in Ugandas gold mines. Researchers working on this report estimate that there are about 50,000 artisanal gold miners in Uganda roughly 20 to 30 per cent of these are children. These estimates mean that 10,000 to 15,000 children are working alongside adults as artisanal gold miners. Part of these children still attend primary school periodically, as well as working in the mines. However, the research shows that very few of the children go on to secondary school. Researchers found that school-going children work during the school holidays andat the weekends, while the children that have already dropped out of school work on the mining sites throughout the year. The field study for this report took place during the school holidays. Researchers visited three mining sites in the Mubende District of Uganda. They observed that 70 to 80 per cent of the workers in the area where gold is washed (or panned) were children. In total the researchers saw around 1,000 to 1,200 children working on the three visited sites. They interviewed 52 children aged between 7 and 17 - 20 per cent of these interviewees was working full time and not attending school. Details: Amsterdam: Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen (SOMO), Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: https://www.somo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/No-golden-future-7.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Uganda Keywords: Child Labor Shelf Number: 140349 |
Author: Travers, Henry Title: Taking action against wildlife crime in Uganda Summary: In recent years, wildlife crime has come under increasing international scrutiny. A multitude of policy responses has emphasised strengthening law enforcement in order to protect wildlife. In contrast, developing community-based responses to wildlife crime has been given very little attention. The immediate threat escalating wildlife crime poses has been used as a justification, but this one-sided approach risks missing opportunities: both to find long-term solutions by addressing the underlying drivers of crime, and also to alleviate the disproportionate impact living close to conservation areas has on local livelihoods. This report presents the key findings and outputs of the 'Building capacity for pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda' project, a collaborative initiative aiming to: 1. Understand the current state of wildlife crime in Uganda, and investigate the underlying drivers of this crime 2. Investigate the preferences of local people and conservation staff for different types of interventions aimed at addressing wildlife crime, and assess the likely impact of these interventions on local people's attitudes and behaviour, and 3. Develop new or improved approaches to increase the capacity of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to tackle wildlife crime more efficiently and effectively. To understand the current state and drivers of wildlife crime, we started by conducting a review of existing evidence (from journal articles, press coverage and so on), to get a picture of the overall situation within Uganda. We then conducted a large scale socioeconomic household survey in villages bordering Uganda's two largest protected areas, Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA) and Murchison Falls Protected Area (MFPA). The survey showed that involvement in wildlife crime was widespread. Indirect questioning estimated that 42 per cent of interviewed households had been involved in illegal hunting, and 29 per cent in illegal fishing or grazing of livestock inside one of the two parks. Households most likely to be involved in wildlife crime included those that were better off, those that reported crop raiding or livestock predation by wildlife, and those that reported no benefit from the parks' revenue-sharing schemes. At both parks, activities put in place to combat wildlife crime focus heavily on law enforcement, with ranger patrols receiving a significant proportion of annual budgets. However, interviews with known hunters cast doubt on patrols' effectiveness, suggesting only one or two in a thousand illegal incursions resulted in an arrest. Households told us that patrols did not deter hunters from entering the parks. UWA does run activities to address some of the drivers of wildlife crime - such as human-wildlife conflict mitigation and livelihood support. However, these types of interventions receive far less support than would be required to influence prevalent wildlife crime. Our study investigated a number of alternative approaches to combating wildlife crime using two empirical predictive methods: choice experiments and scenario-based interviews. Both methods allow participants to pick the types of interventions that would be most likely to deter them from wildlife crime. The interventions explored were: - Improved mitigation of human-wildlife conflict - Appointment of local wildlife scouts - Establishment of, and support for, 'wildlife-friendly' enterprises - Increased ranger patrols - Removal of resource access arrangements (around each park, UWA allows for a limited number of certified individuals to access certain resources at certain times of the year) - Regulated hunting. Local people preferred different interventions at the two parks. At QEPA, people preferred increased funding for activities that reduce human-wildlife conflict, whereas people living around MFPA preferred support for creating 'wildlife-friendly' enterprises (ie small enterprises that do not damage wildlife conservation). At both parks there was support for appointing 'wildlife scouts from the community to respond to human-wildlife conflict. When UWA staff were consulted separately and asked which interventions they thought would be most effective, their priorities aligned strongly with the local communities - although they also emphasised continued and improved law enforcement. As well as potentially being more effective, local people thought the three community-focused interventions (wildlife-friendly enterprises, wildlife scouts and human-wildlife conflict mitigation) were fairer than the enforcement-focused approach to tackling wildlife crime. These interventions were also predicted to increase the time local people spend on legal livelihood activities and make them more likely to inform UWA about illegal activities. The findings suggest that greater support for community engagement is likely to significantly improve UWA's ability to combat wildlife crime. The project team then worked with UWA staff at each of the two parks to develop park-specific strategic action plans to combat wildlife crime. The aims were to prioritise addressing offences with the greatest impact on wildlife, identify where these wildlife crimes are most prevalent (and the communities involved), and specify the actions required to combat these offences. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 2017. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2017 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17604IIED.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Uganda Keywords: Illegal Fishing Shelf Number: 145236 |
Author: Critchlow, R. Title: Analysing trends of illegal activities from ranger-collected data in the Queen Elizabeth National Park Summary: In this report we provide a draft manuscript of how our method can be applied to analyse illegal activities using Management Information System (MIST) data from a single national park: the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), Uganda. In addition, we detail: how we have gone about this process, any problems encountered, the key results from the initial analysis, and finally the immediate plans and future steps. The aims of this primary analysis were to develop a method to use ranger-based monitoring data (1) map the spatial distribution of illegal activities, (2) identify the influential drivers of these activities, and (3) assess the spatial and temporal trends of illegal activities. Our current approach can be applied across multiple protected areas, and importantly accounts for observation effort. With accurate knowledge of the locations and processes that drive different types of illegal activities, rangers can more effectively target problems. Existing methods to assess patterns of illegal activities from ranger based monitoring include analysis of raw patterns or use of encounter rates. However, these simple methods give highly biased results as the statistics used are developed for situations where survey data is random or evenly spread across a protected area, and ranger-based monitoring is focussed on areas where illegal activities are expected to be highest. Encounter rates or catch per unit effort (CPUE) are an improvement on analysis of raw or uncorrected data, but have their own additional biases. For example, CPUE may not reflect the underlying trends of illegal resource use if the efficiency of ranger patrols improves over time. Additional pitfalls of the CPUE method are that it assumes reporting of illegal activity is proportional to patrol effort and that observing illegal activities is constant across space and time. This is unlikely because ranger patrols will rarely perfectly cover a survey area, and proportionally more effort will be needed to detect remaining illegal activity (Keane, Jones & Milner-Gulland 2011). Depending on the particular assumptions made, the consequences of these biases may lead to systematic over- or under-estimate of illegal activities with little information on the scale of the bias, and always lead to uncertain trends. Recognising this problem, we have taken an analysis approach that accounts for surveillance effort by estimating the probability of reporting an illegal activity independently from assessing the biotic and abiotic drivers of illegal activities. This type of analysis is based on an approach used to analyse volunteer-based records of bird distributions and change in regions with highly variable observer effort in space and time (Beale et al. 2013) and is fully described in a recent paper describing species distribution modelling (Beale, Brewer & Lennon 2014). Details: New York: Wildlife Conservation Society, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: https://library.wcs.org/doi/ctl/view/mid/33065/pubid/DMX2721700000.aspx Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Wildlife Conservation Shelf Number: 145927 |
Author: Kaweesi, Andrew Felix Title: The Relationship between Public and Private Security Providers: An Analysis of the Regulation of Private Security Providers in Uganda Summary: This thesis is based on the fundamental conceptual premise that the public and private security are all in the business of crime prevention. If this tenet is correct, then there have to be enormous opportunities for the two groups to work together more closely to prevent crime. The possibility of working together, or even forming partnerships in the future, represents a fundamental shift in traditional concept of security provision. Using the structuralism theoretical analysis, the researcher observed that class division leads to a threat of fear and insecurity by the dominant class who in turn seek for state protection against the perceived threats to their wealth and when the state is unable to provide such required security, a vacuum is created which will be filled by private security initiatives. The noticeable growth of private security in Uganda in the recent times has raised fears that public security would be compromised and the traditional role of public security would be eroded. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative method of research in investigating the problem. The study findings reveal that the growth of private security in Uganda is something that cannot be ignore or wished away. From the study finding the researcher observed that there is overwhelming call for partnership between public and private security for the public benefit and resource sharing. The two security providers require mutual cooperation if they are to succeed in delivering security to all people of Uganda. Effective private provision of security requires that legislative, regulatory and oversight safeguards be put in place and a culture of professionalism be engendered. This should encourage transparency and reduce opportunities for illegitimate or unethical activities and foster cooperation between private and public security. Details: Nairobi: University of Nairobi, 2011. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 17, 2017 at: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/96231/Kaweesi_The%20Relationship%20between%20Public%20and%20Private%20Security%20Providers,%20%20An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Regulation%20of%20Private%20Security%20Providers%20in%20Uganda.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2011 Country: Uganda Keywords: Private Security Shelf Number: 147702 |
Author: Rossi, Alessandra Title: Uganda Wildlife Trafficking Assessment Summary: The report, "Uganda Wildlife Trafficking Assessment," produced by TRAFFIC as part of the USAID-funded Wildlife TRAPS Project, provides a comprehensive look at Uganda's illegal and legal wildlife trade, poaching trends, and wildlife trafficking routes over the last 10-15 years. Uganda is home to a spectacularly diverse array of wildlife, housing more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, 50% of Africa's bird species, almost 40% of Africa's mammal species, and 19% of Africa's amphibian species. "Uganda's incredible biological diversity is one of the world's great treasures, and the rightful heritage of all Ugandans," says Mark Meassick, Mission Director of the USAID Mission to Uganda. "Successfully managing wildlife conservation is not only fundamental to achieving Uganda's sustainable development goals, it is our collective responsibility to future generations." Despite serving as a trafficking hub, the majority of Uganda's wildlife does not face major threats from organized poaching inside the country's borders. Elephant poaching is less of a concern in Uganda as compared to ivory trafficking, although some poaching episodes are still registered by the authorities. In fact, Uganda's elephant population has increased slightly in recent years. Terrestrial smuggling routes exist between Uganda and neighbors Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and extend to at least the Central African Republic. The main international destinations for wildlife products being smuggled from Uganda are China and Viet Nam. "Uganda relies on its wildlife and natural resources to support its economy, growth and development through tourism. Wildlife conservation and sustainable use are therefore paramount for the country's global development objectives," says TRAFFIC's Alessandra Rossi, author of the assessment. The report also provides an overview of the main bird, reptile and mammal species in Uganda that are legally and illegally traded. Birds: Uganda has seen a decrease in the legal bird trade since 2006, which can be attributed to a number of factors including habitat degradation and stricter protection measures put in place and enforced by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The most targeted species for illicit trade taking place in Uganda are the Grey Crowned-crane (the national bird of Uganda) and the Shoebill. Reptiles: Reptiles were traded mainly between 2000 and 2005, with a prevalence of trade in chameleon species, followed by the Leopard Tortoise. Trade declined between 2005 and 2009 for most reptile species before resuming slowly from 2009 to 2014. Overall, though, the reptile trade is in decline, due to dwindling wild populations and a change in UWA's management strategy to promote trade in captive bred species. The illegal trade in reptiles often runs alongside the legal trade, largely due to the difficulty in identifying reptile shipments. Mammals: Hippopotamus teeth are heavily traded between Uganda and Hong Kong. Despite a ban in 2014 to protect declining hippopotamus populations, this trade has continued illegally in Uganda. Poaching of mammals in Uganda is practiced mainly for meat and due to human-wildlife conflict, with the exception of pangolins, which have been heavily targeted for poaching and trafficking in the country. Between 2012-2016, over 1,400 pangolins were seized in Uganda. To reduce the threat of poaching and trafficking in Uganda, the report offers recommendations for governments, conservation groups and the donor community to take action. They include suggestions for strengthening law enforcement and managing ivory stocks, as well as wildlife seizure and trade information, increasing regional collaboration, and working with communities to raise awareness around wildlife conservation issues. FOR MORE INFORMATION: View the full report Photos for media use Report Citation: Rossi, A. (2018). Uganda Wildlife Trafficking Assessment. TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, United Kingdom. About IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. About Wildlife TRAPS The USAID-funded Wildlife Trafficking, Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project is an initiative that is designed to secure a transformation in the level of co-operation between an international community of stakeholders who are impacted by illegal wildlife trade between Africa and Asia. The project is designed to increase understanding of the true character and scale of the response required, to set priorities, identify intervention points, and test non-traditional approaches with project partners. About USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is responsible for the majority of overseas development assistance from the United States Government and leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people on their journey to self-reliance. About UWA Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is a semi-autonomous government agency that conserves and manages Uganda's wildlife for the people of Uganda and the whole world. This agency was established in 1996 after the merger of the Uganda National Parks and the Game Department, and the enactment of the Uganda Wildlife Statute, which became an Act in 2000. UWA is mandated to ensure sustainable management of wildlife resources and supervise wildlife activities in Uganda both within and outside the protected areas. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2018. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/157301/27882787/1523867065007/Uganda+Wildlife+Assessment_FINAL.pdf?token=JL3Pc0bxP725CIqZ38NV%2FBfUG0s%3D Year: 2018 Country: Uganda Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 149798 |
Author: Global Witness Title: Under-Mined: How corruption, mismanagement and political influence is undermining investment in Uganda's mining sector and threatening people and environment Summary: Uganda is rich in natural resource wealth such as gold, tin and phosphate that could create jobs and support the country's developing economy by generating tax revenues. However, our 18 month long investigation has exposed endemic corruption and mismanagement in the country's fledgling mining sector that means crooked officials, and international investors are profiting at the expense of Uganda's people, environment and economy. Key findings of the investigation include: Miners are working in dangerous, largely unregulated conditions - with children exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis Almost half the world's remaining mountain gorillas are at risk as mining threatens Bwindi and Rwenzori national parks, part of the famous Virunga ecosystem, and also risks the economically critical tourism industry which depends on the country's natural beauty and wildlife The country is deprived of tax revenues that could be spent on schools, hospitals and roads Minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan - that might be funding conflict and human rights abuses - pass through Uganda on their way to international markets Details: London: Global Witness, 2017. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2018 at: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/oil-gas-and-mining/uganda-undermined/ Year: 2017 Country: Uganda Keywords: Environmental Crimes Shelf Number: 150319 |
Author: Global Financial Integrity Title: A Scoping Study of Illicit Financial Flows Impacting Uganda Summary: Insufficient levels of financial transparency-globally and domestically-and government accountability in Uganda, coupled with a regulatory system that can incentivize financial crimes, are helping to drive high levels of illicit financial inflow and outflows in the country, which are undermining development efforts. Uganda will struggle to meet its goal of rising to middle income status and reducing its reliance on foreign debt unless it increases efforts to combat the commercial tax evasion, corruption, and money laundering of criminal proceeds and terrorist financing. Three policy areas should be the central focus for the government: eliminate the allowance and use of anonymous companies in the economy, reduce the ease and volumes of trade misinvoicing, and enforce anti-money laundering laws, particularly within the banking sector. Illicit financial flows (IFFs) in Uganda are part of a broader political economy dynamic where continued economic growth and development are hampered by corruption, impunity, and an opaque extractive sector. The growth in Uganda's economy and its role as a haven for legal and illegal activities stemming from neighboring countries like South Sudan, create perverse opportunities for illicit financial flows. The central government has a decent capacity to combat these opportunities for IFFs on paper, but its willingness or capacity to act to curtail IFFs is lagging. Trade misinvoicing is the most significant area of illicit financial flows in Uganda that can be estimated using publicly available data. From 2006-2015, the latest years for which the necessary data are available, potential trade misinvoicing amounted to roughly 18 percent of total Ugandan trade over the ten-year period. The figure for possible outflows is some 10 percent of total trade, and for possible inflows it is around 8 percent of total trade (2006-2015). Viewed in dollar terms, the potential over- and under-invoicing of imports from 2006-2015 was approximately US$4.9 billion, and over- and under-invoicing of exports may have reached US$1.7 billion. Uganda's laws and regulations on financial transparency and anti-money laundering have the strongest influence on illicit financial flows, and there are notable gaps in the framework the Government of Uganda has in place to address the sources, transfer methods, and motivations of IFFs in the country. In particular, laws governing corporations in Uganda are generally weak in so far as they do not require the official identification of the beneficial owners of companies or the complete identity of all shareholders in a company. The government's anti-money laundering regime mostly exists on paper and could do with strengthening. The Financial Intelligence Authority, which was only recently established, acknowledges this shortcoming and is working to enhance its performance in helping to prevent, track, and prosecute money laundering in the country. Uganda's extractive sector and the presence of numerous transnational crime markets add to the importance of both financial transparency and anti-money laundering. Details: Washington, DC: GFI, 2018. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed October 16, 2018 at: https://www.gfintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/A-Scoping-Study-of-Illicit-Financial-Flows-Impacting-Uganda.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Uganda Keywords: Corporate Corruption Shelf Number: 152979 |
Author: Green, Donald P. Title: Silence Begets Violence: A mass media experiment in rural Uganda Summary: Violence against women (VAW) is widespread in East Africa, with almost half of married women experiencing physical abuse. Those seeking to address this policy issue confront two challenges. First, some forms of domestic violence are widely condoned; majorities of men and women believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife in a variety of scenarios. Second, victims and bystanders are often reluctant to report incidents to authorities. Building on a growing literature showing that education -entertainment can change norms and behaviors, we present experimental evidence from a media campaign attended by over 10,000 Ugandans in 112 villages. In randomly assigned villages, video dramatizations discouraged VAW and encouraged reporting. Results from interviews conducted several months after the intervention show no change in attitudes condoning VAW yet a substantial increase in willingness to report to authorities, especially among women, and a decline in the share of women who experienced violence. Details: New Haven, CT: Innovations for Poverty Action, 2019. 42p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 7, 2019 at: https://www.poverty-action.org/sites/default/files/publications/GreenWilkeCooper2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Uganda Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 155673 |
Author: Green, Donald P. Title: Countering violence against women at scale: A mass media experiment in rural Uganda Summary: Violence against women (VAW) is widespread in East Africa, with almost half of married women experiencing physical abuse. Those seeking to address this policy issue confront two challenges. First, some forms of domestic violence are widely condoned; majorities of men and women believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife in a variety of scenarios. Second, victims and bystanders are often reluctant to report incidents to authorities. Building on a growing literature showing that education-entertainment can change norms and behaviors, we present experimental evidence from a media campaign attended by over 10,000 Ugandans in 112 villages. In randomly assigned villages, video dramatizations discouraged VAW and encouraged reporting. Results from interviews conducted several months after the intervention show no change in attitudes condoning VAW yet a substantial increase in willingness to report to authorities, especially among women, and a decline in the share of women who experienced violence. Details: Unpublished paper, 2019. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Working paper, 2019: Accessed May 8, 2019 at: https://www.poverty-action.org/sites/default/files/publications/GreenWilkeCooper2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Uganda Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 155698 |
Author: Bukenya, Badru Title: ECPAT Country Overview: Uganda Summary: Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa with a population of approximately 41.5 million people of which 22.8 million are children. The country has one of the world youngest populations. Uganda currently hosts the third largest refugee population in the world, two-thirds of which are children. Displacement is one the factors leading to children's vulnerability to sexual exploitation. Other circumstances associated with heightened risks for children are poverty, gender inequalities and lack of adequate education due to school drop-out and pressure to financially support the family. In terms of exploitation in prostitution, victims are mostly girls and transactions are often not monetary but perceived as pathways towards more formal relationships such as 'sugar daddy' arrangements through which the men provide for basic survival needs in exchange for sex. Boys and girls also actively engage in their own exploitation in order to have access to material goods they would not be able to afford otherwise. In recent years, there has been an increase in Internet access and mobile cell phone subscriptions in Uganda. Although data on the actual number of child victims and the volume of child sexual abuse materials generated and shared in the country are not available, media reports, anecdotal evidence as well as some research on child sexual abuse online, show that Ugandan children are at risk of online child sexual exploitation and indicate the need for continued awareness-raising activities on the issue. Uganda continues to be a source, transit and destination country for children subject to trafficking for sexual purposes, including through early and forced marriage and for the production of child sexual abuse material. The risk of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is very important, especially in light of expanding tourism in Africa and the significant proportion of At a Glance travel and tourism in Uganda taking place through orphanage voluntourism programmes. Although the legal age of marriage is 18 years of age, Uganda continues to have one of the highest rates of child, early and forced marriage in the world. Uganda has ratified a number of international and regional instruments aimed at combating the sexual exploitation of children. However, it is worth noting that the country has yet to ratify the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (signed in 2000) and has not made any action in reference to the African Union Convention on Cyber Security. The national legislation is not fully in compliance with international standards and gaps persist to comprehensively address the sexual exploitation of children in a harmonized manner across multiple pieces of legislation. Uganda has a robust national-level legal, policy, and research framework to address sexual exploitation of children and the key drivers of children's vulnerability. A specific National Action Plan on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation has been drafted and it is due to be finalised and approved by the end of 2019. The efforts of civil society in preventing and raising awareness on sexual exploitation of children and related phenomena are praiseworthy. A number of projects focus on issues like child, early and forced marriage, and child online safety. In terms of child-sensitive justice, although guidelines on how to reduce the risk of secondary victimisation for children exist, loopholes in laws that allow child victims' identities to be disclosed put children at risk. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2019. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2019 at: https://www.ecpat.org/country-reports/uganda-country-overview/ Year: 2019 Country: Uganda Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 155924 |
Author: International Justice Mission Title: Property Grabbing from Ugandan Widows and the Justice System: A Mixed-Methods Assessment in Mukono County, Uganda Summary: Background and Introduction: For a woman or family living in poverty, a house and a small patch of land provide a crucial source of shelter, food and income. But for many, this foundation is not secure. "Property grabbing" is the common phrase used to describe the set of crimes through which vulnerable people are driven from or otherwise lose access to their rightful property through physical force, forgery, fraud, threats, intimidation, property destruction and/or collective pressures. In Uganda, widows and orphans are among the most vulnerable to property grabbing. Following the death of a male head of household, it is common for relatives, community members, authority figures and other opportunists to plunder the property (including the home and its surrounding gardens) that belonged to the deceased or to the couple jointly. Land security is essential to livelihood security for most Ugandans, over 85% of whom live in rural areas where agriculture is the major contributor to their livelihoods. When widows and orphans become victims of property grabbing, they lose not only their homes and personal possessions, but their sources of food and income. As a result, they may become homeless, malnourished, driven further into poverty and vulnerable to further exploitation. While the Ugandan Penal Code and other statutes do not include a specific offense called "property grabbing," the act of stealing a widow's land violates numerous criminal statutes. Although many property grabbing perpetrators attempt to hide behind customary practices of refusing women and children the right to own property, the Constitution and laws of Uganda supersede such traditions, guaranteeing the equality of land and inheritance rights between men and women as well as the equal protection of the civil and criminal law. Unfortunately, property grabbing against women remains entrenched in the sociocultural and gender norms of Uganda, and the Ugandan public justice system has not effectively delivered on the aspirations of protection and security promised by the law of Uganda. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence and impact of property grabbing among widows in Uganda and the effectiveness of the Ugandan public justice system's response to property grabbing. Specifically, the study assessed: 1) the prevalence of property grabbing among widows and orphans in Mukono County; and 2) the effectiveness of the key duty-holders within the public justice system (Local Councils, police, Administrator General, judiciary and court staff) in providing proper estate administration and an appropriate criminal and civil justice response to cases of property grabbing from widows. Methods: The study team employed three data collection methods: 1. County-wide household prevalence survey: The study team surveyed 1,806 widows in Mukono County (from all villages in half of the randomly selected parishes in all sub-counties of Mukono County). These women were either widowed in Mukono County and still resided there or had moved out of the targeted village (greater than 100km away) after the death of their husband. Enumerators asked women to provide a "story map" of their lives at the beginning of each interview. This narrative helped establish rapport with the enumerator, acted as a data quality assurance measure and provided illuminating detail about their relationships, associated property and land, and lives as a whole. Enumerators then administered a structured questionnaire using mobile data collection. 2. Case file review: The study team reviewed 187 cases closed or completed between 2010 and 2012. In total, reviewers captured data from 68 criminal prosecutions of property grabbing-related case files at Mukono Town Council and Naggalama Police Stations and then followed through, where possible, to the Mukono Chief Magistrate's Court; the team reviewed 119 estate administration case files at the Jinja High Court and Mukono Chief Magistrate's Court and tracked the cases back, where possible, to the Administrator General's Office. 3. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews: The study team conducted stakeholder interviews with women and men in the targeted communities as well as with lawyers, police officers, Local Council: Leaders and court clerks. In total, the team conducted 13 focus groups with a total of 118 respondents, and interviewed 13 individuals holding either positions of authority in the government and/or roles in the criminal justice or estate administration process. Results: This study found that,for many women in Uganda, property grabbing is a common experience following the loss of a husband. Nearly 40% of widows faced an attempt of or actually experienced property grabbing in their lifetime. More than 30% of widows have been victims of property grabbing. In many cases, the widow reported experiencing violent acts that either influenced her decision, or forced her to leave her land or property. These ranged from verbal threats to physical and sexual violence to mass destruction of land or property. Eighteen percent of victims reported a murder attempt on their lives. The county-wide household survey revealed three statistically significant protective factors against property grabbing (p less than or equal to 0.05): marriage formalization, the existence of a will for the husband prior to his death, and land documentation. Four statistically significant risk factors for property grabbing were found as well (p≤0.05): land ownership through kibanja, customary/traditional marriage, presence of co-wives and existence of children from the deceased husband and another woman. All three data collection methods revealed barriers to engagement in the criminal prosecution of property grabbing cases, including widows' and justice system officials' lack of knowledge on the law, widows fear of the loss of social support and other repercussions of pursuing justice, a disproportional burden on the widows to obtain justice, and justice system officials' lack of resources and capacity. Barriers to engagement in the estate administration process included widows' lack of awareness of their rights, communities' reinforcement of traditional norms disadvantaging women over laws intended to protect them, and the complexity of the estate administration process. Conclusions and Recommendations: Existing social structures and power relations already place women in a vulnerable position, and the majority of widows interviewed were living with circumstances identified as risk-increasing. Compounding this vulnerability is the fact that widows do not benefit from the potential protective power of their justice system. The estate administration system is a failed endeavor that does not the provide basic clarity into or documentation of women's property rights that could protect them from property grabbers. Even more significantly, the criminal justice system fails to apprehend or convict property grabbing perpetrators, leaving victims reasonably reluctant to engage the public justice system. This atmosphere of impunity is further facilitated by the widespread lack of accurate understanding of Uganda's laws around property grabbing, land ownership, and succession and inheritance-related matters. There are a number of false beliefs and misperceptions among widows, perpetrators and community members that need to be corrected if widows are to be protected from property grabbing. Tailored public education messages should center largely around the rights of women to inherit and own land, the existence of the legal framework and related legal promises to protect these rights, the criminal nature of and related penalties for property grabbing, proper distribution of estate property, and the importance of and procedures for engaging the public justice system in formal estate administration and/or criminal prosecution. In addition to education on general principles, the public - particularly married couples, widows and property grabbing victims - would benefit greatly from service providers who could help them take tangible steps to protect themselves and their families from property grabbers, specifically in the areas of will writing, land documentation, marriage formalization and navigation of the justice system. The sustainability and scalability of public education and direct service delivery efforts ultimately relies on the existence of a properly functioning justice system. Accordingly, any of the above efforts must be coupled with investment in improving the actual service delivery of the justice system institutions that have the legal duty to investigate and prosecute property grabbing crimes and to provide efficient estate administration. In addition to general skills enhancement, the study uncovered a number of specific actions that could be taken to improve the public justice system's ability to restrain and prevent property grabbing, specifically: educate and equip Local Council Leaders on the law and procedure related to criminal reporting, succession and estate administration; prioritize the criminal prosecution of property grabbing cases within the police, prosecution and courts; invest in accurate and complete records; and reduce in transfers of public justice system officials. Details: Washington, DC: International Justice Mission, 2014. 112. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: https://www.ijm.org/documents/studies/IJM-Propery-Grabbing-from-Ugandan-Widows-and-the-Justice-System.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Uganda Keywords: Conflicts over Land Shelf Number: 156566 |