Uganda

'To Me, Justice Means to Be in a Group’: Survivors’ Groups as a Pathway to Justice in Northern Uganda

Citation:

Schulz, Philipp. 2019. "'To Me, Justice Means to Be in a Group’: Survivors’ Groups as a Pathway to Justice in Northern Uganda." Journal of Human Rights Practice 11 (1): 171-89.

Author: Philipp Schulz

Abstract:

How do male survivors of sexual violence conceptualize justice in a post-conflict and transitional context? Centralizing male survivors’ voices and perspectives, this article seeks to address this under-explored question in the growing literature on gender and transitional justice. Even though recent years have witnessed increasing consideration for redressing crimes of wartime sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls, specific attention to justice for conflict-related sexual violence against men remains remarkably absent. Utilizing novel empirical data from northern Uganda, in this article I show that justice for male survivors of sexual violence means to be in a group with other survivors. Drawing on survivors’ perspectives, I argue that groups make it possible for male survivors to attain a sense of justice on the micro level and in a participatory capacity in four fundamental ways: (1) by enabling survivors to re-negotiate their gender identities; (2) by mitigating isolation through (re-)building relationships; (3) by offering safe spaces for storytelling as a culturally-resonating contribution to justice, enabling survivors to exercise agency; and (4) by initiating a process of recognizing male survivors’ experiences, contributing to justice through recognition. By addressing male sexual and gendered harms in a myriad of ways, survivors’ groups thereby constitute a pathway through which justice can be achieved among survivors themselves on the micro level. In northern Uganda, where formalized transitional justice processes are irresponsive to male sexual violations, survivors’ groups thus constitute community-driven and participatory alternative redress mechanisms for harms that remain unrecognized and unaddressed by standardized transitional justice processes.

Keywords: activism, Gender, masculinity, survivors' groups, sexual violence, Uganda

Topics: Gender, Men, Gender-Based Violence, Justice, Transitional Justice, Post-Conflict, Sexual Violence, SV against Men Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2019

Women and Peacebuilding in Uganda

Citation:

Ball, Jennifer. 2019. “Women and Peacebuilding in Uganda.” In Women, Development and Peacebuilding in Africa: Stories from Uganda, 3–29. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

Author: Jennifer Ball

Abstract:

Peacebuilding is typically viewed in international arenas as processes and activities engaged in during periods of post-conflict reconstruction, following on the heels of peacemaking and peacekeeping. The peacebuilders are often outsiders, and usually Westerners. This chapter upends those traditional notions, offering a more holistic view of peacebuilding, and one in which local women are key players. The focus is not merely on reconstruction, but also on the prevention and resolution of violence and conflict, by ensuring the socioeconomic and political conditions in which people’s rights and basic human needs can be met. This chapter looks at the roles of women in peacebuilding, and then at women peacebuilders in the Ugandan context. It notes ways in which Ugandan women at the grassroots have played and continue to play significant and often unheralded roles in fraught situations.

Keywords: peacebuilding, Ugandan women, Mazurana, violent conflict, grassroots

Topics: Class, Conflict, Gender, Women, Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Rights, Violence Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2019

Armed Conflict, Alcohol Misuse, Decision-Making, and Intimate Partner Violence among Women in Northeastern Uganda: A Population Level Study

Citation:

Mootz, Jennifer J., Florence Kyoheirwe Muhanguzi, Pavel Panko, Patrick Onyango Mangen, Milton L. Wainberg, Ilana Pinsky, and Kaveh Khoshnood. 2018. "Armed Conflict, Alcohol Misuse, Decision-Making, and Intimate Partner Violence among Women in Northeastern Uganda: A Population Level Study." Conflict and Health 12: 1-11.

Authors: Jennifer J. Mootz, Florence Kyoheirwe Muhanguzi, Pavel Panko, Patrick Onyango Mangen, Milton L. Wainberg, Ilana Pinsky, Kaveh Khoshnood

Abstract:

Background: Relations among and interactions between exposure to armed conflict, alcohol misuse, low socioeconomic status, gender (in)equitable decision-making, and intimate partner violence (IPV) represent serious global health concerns. Our objective was to determine extent of exposure to these variables and test pathways between these indicators of interest.
 
Methods: We surveyed 605 women aged 13 to 49 who were randomly selected via multistage sampling across three districts in Northeastern Uganda in 2016. We used Mplus 7.4 to estimate a moderated structural equation model of indirect pathways between armed conflict and intimate partner violence for currently partnered women (n = 558) to evaluate the strength of the relationships between the latent factors and determine the goodness-of-fit of the proposed model with the population data.
 
Results: Most respondents (88.8%) experienced conflict-related violence. The lifetime/ past 12 month prevalence of experiencing intimate partner violence was 65.3%/ 50.9% (psychological) and 59.9%/ 43.8% (physical). One-third (30.7%) of women’s partners reportedly consumed alcohol daily. The relative fit of the structural model was superior (CFI = 0.989; TLI = 0.989). The absolute fit (RMSEA = 0.029) closely matched the population data. The partner and joint decision-making groups significantly differed on the indirect effect through partner alcohol use (a1b1 = 0.209 [0.017: 0.467]).
 
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that male partner alcohol misuse is associated with exposure to armed conflict and intimate partner violence—a relationship moderated by healthcare decision-making. These findings encourage the extension of integrated alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence policy and emergency humanitarian programming to include exposure to armed conflict and gendered decision-making practices.

Keywords: armed conflict, Uganda, alcohol use, domestic violence, decision-making

Topics: Armed Conflict, Economies, Poverty, Domestic Violence, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Households, Humanitarian Assistance, Livelihoods Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2018

Incidence and Impact of Land Conflict in Uganda

Citation:

Deininger, Klaus, and Raffaella Castagnini. 2006. "Incidence and Impact of Land Conflict in Uganda." Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 60 (3): 321-45.

Authors: Klaus Deininger, Raffaella Castagnini

Abstract:

While there is a large, though inconclusive, literature on the impact of land titles in Africa, little attention has been devoted to the study of land conflict, despite evidence on increasing incidence of such conflicts. We use data from Uganda to explore who is affected by land conflicts, whether recent legal changes have helped to reduce their incidence, and to assess their impact on productivity. Results indicate that female-headed households and widows are particularly affected and that the passage of the 1998 Land Act has failed to reduce the number of pending land conflicts. We also find evidence of a significant and quantitatively large productivity-reducing impact of land conflicts. This suggests that, especially in Africa, attention to land-related conflicts and exploration of ways to prevent and speedily resolve them would be an important area for policy as well as research. 

Keywords: conflict, land, sustainable land use, agriculture, productivity, Gender, nonparametrics

Topics: Economies, Conflict, Resource Conflict, Gender, Women, Households, Livelihoods, Rights, Land Rights, Security Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2006

Displacement from Gendered Personhood: Sexual Violence and Masculinities in Northern Uganda

Citation:

Schulz, Phillip. 2018. "Displacement from Gendered Personhood: Sexual Violence and Masculinities in Northern Uganda." International Affairs 94 (5): 1101-19. 

Author: Phillip Schulz

Abstract:

This article empirically deconstructs the gendered effects of sexual violence on male survivors' masculinities in northern Uganda. Throughout the growing literature on the topic, the effects of wartime gender-based violence against men are widely seen as compromising male survivors' masculine identities, commonly framed as ‘emasculation’ by way of ‘feminization’ and/or ‘homo-sexualization’. Yet exactly how such processes unfold from survivors' perspectives remains insufficiently explored, nor has existing scholarship critically engaged with the dominant analytical categories and their associated terminologies. This article seeks to engage with both of these gaps. First, I identify normative and analytical shortcomings of the ‘emasculation’/‘feminization’ paradigm. Drawing on Edström, Dolan and colleagues, I propose an alternative reading to analyse the effects of sexual violence on gender identities. Second, I argue that the impact of sexual violence on masculinities is a layered process, compounded through numerous sexual and gendered harms and perpetuated over time. In northern Uganda, this process is composed of intersecting gendered harms that subordinate male survivors along gendered hierarchies, and that signify survivors' perceived inabilities to provide, protect and procreate—as expected of them by local constructions of hegemonic masculinity. I therefore emphasize that sexual violence against men strikes at multiple levels of what it means to be a man, which is important to understanding and addressing these layered gendered harms in the aftermath of the violations.

Topics: Armed Conflict, Conflict, Gender, Men, Masculinity/ies, Femininity/ies, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Hierarchies, Sexual Violence, Rape, SV against Men Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2018

'Luk pe Coo,' or Compensation as Dowry? Gendered Reflections on Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence against Men

Citation:

Schulz, Philipp. 2018. "'Luk pe Coo,' or Compensation as Dowry? Gendered Reflections on Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence against Men." The International Journal of Transitional Justice 12 (3): 537-48.

Author: Schulz, Philipp

Abstract:

This Note explores a divergent viewpoint on reparations represented by a small group of male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Northern Uganda. According to this perspective, reparative justice measures equal the payment of dowry, locally conceptualized as luk. In this reading, reparations, if regarded as dowry, further cement survivors’ perceived inferior subject positioning in a gendered manifestation and as previously initiated through the sexual violations. If viewed as dowry, reparations can thus entrench further gendered harms, rather than redressing suffering and vulnerabilities. These findings stand in contrast to how the relationships between reparations, victimhood and gender are commonly theorized, thus implying novel empirical and conceptual implications for gender-sensitive reparations in response to conflict-related sexual violence. Based upon these findings, I emphasize that reparations are value-loaded and inevitably depend on local gendered, cultural and societal contexts.

Keywords: reparations, Gender, sexual violence / rape, masculinities, Northern Uganda

Topics: Conflict, Gender, Men, Masculinity/ies, Justice, Reparations, Sexual Violence, SV against Men Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2018

Cango Lyec (Healing the Elephant): Gender Differences in HIV Infection in Post-conflict Northern Uganda

Citation:

Spittal, Patricia M., Samuel S. Malamba, Martin D. Ogwang, Seggane Musisi, J. Paul Ekwaru, Nelson K. Sewankambo, Margo E. Pearce, Kate Jongbloed, Sheetal H. Patel, Achilles Katamba, Alden H. Blair, Herbert Muyinda, and Martin T. Schechter. 2018. "Cango Lyec (Healing the Elephant): Gender Differences in HIV Infection in Post-conflict Northern Uganda." Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 78 (3): 257-68. 

Authors: Patricia M. Spittal, Samuel S. Malamba, Martin D. Ogwang, Seggane Musisi, J. Paul Ekwaru, Nelson K. Sewankambo, Margo E. Pearce, Kate Jongbloed, Sheetal H. Patel, Achilles Katamba, Alden H. Blair, Herbert Muyinda, Martin T. Schechter

Abstract:

Background: As previously encamped resettle, potential for rapid HIV transmission in post-conflict Northern Uganda is concerning. Women in particular may be experiencing heightened vulnerability resulting from war-related sexual violence.
 
Setting: Cango Lyec (Healing the Elephant) Project is a cohort involving conflict-affected people in 3 districts in Northern Uganda.
 
Methods: Eight randomly selected communities were mapped, and a census was conducted. Participants aged 13–49 years completed questionnaires in Luo on war-related experiences, mental health, sexual vulnerabilities, and sociodemographics. Blood samples were tested for HIV and syphilis. Baseline data from all sexually active participants was used to determine gender differences in HIV prevalence. Multivariate modeling determined correlates of HIV by gender.
 
Results: Among 2008 participants, HIV prevalence was higher among women [17.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 14.7 to 19.7] compared to men (10.6; 95% CI: 8.0 to 13.2, ,0.001). Among women, correlates of HIV included: war-related sexual assault [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.95; 95% CI: 1.16 to 3.26]; probable depression (AOR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.46 to 3.37); probable post-traumatic stress disorder (AOR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.45 to 2.84); experiencing $12 traumatic events (AOR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.18); suicide ideation (AOR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.28); living in a female-headed household (AOR: 2.76; 95% CI: 1.70 to 4.49); first sexual partner $10 years older (AOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.07 to 2.67); sex for exchange (AOR: 5.51; 95% CI: 1.76 to 17.31); having 2 (AOR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.23 to 5.23) or 3+ (AOR: 4.65; 95% CI: 2.65 to 8.18) sexual partners; inconsistent condom use (AOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.57); genital ulcers (AOR: 3.08; 95% CI: 2.16 to 4.38); active syphilis (AOR: 4.33; 95% CI: 1.22 to 15.40); and ill health without medical care (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.22 to 3.34). Among men, correlates of HIV included no condom at sexual debut (AOR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.30 to 2.83) and genital ulcers (AOR: 4.40; 95% CI: 1.35 to 14.40).
 
Conclusion: Women are disproportionately impacted by HIV, trauma, and depression in this conflict-affected population. Trauma-informed HIV prevention and culturally safe mental health initiatives are urgently required.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, conflict-affected people, Northern Uganda, Gender, sexual violence, mental health

Topics: Armed Conflict, Conflict, Gender, Women, Health, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, Trauma, Post-Conflict, Sexual Violence, SV against Women Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2018

Peacebuilding Measures and the Transformation of Masculinities: Looking at Liberia and Uganda

Citation:

Messerschmidt, Maike, and Hendrik Quest. 2020. “Peacebuilding Measures and the Transformation of Masculinities: Looking at Liberia and Uganda.” In Gender Roles in Peace and Security: Prevent, Protect, Participate, edited by Manuela Scheuermann and Anja Zürn, 79–100. Cham: Springer.

Authors: Maike Messerschmidt, Hendrik Quest

Abstract:

Messerschmidt and Quest trace the potential for transformation of violence-centred masculinities in Liberia and Uganda as a result of post-conflict peacebuilding. First, they suggest a practice-theoretical framework that enables them to distinguish between violent and non-violent configurations of masculinity at different analytical levels. They then scrutinise disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), security sector reforms (SSR) and transitional justice in Liberia and Uganda to assess their potential to transform violence-centred masculinities. In both cases, they see good reason to assume that peacebuilding measures have contributed to the transformation of masculinities, albeit more profoundly so in Liberia than in Uganda. By identifying relevant practices in all three programmes, they contribute to both the academic and practical knowledge concerning post-conflict peacebuilding measures.

Topics: DDR, Gender, Masculinity/ies, Justice, Transitional Justice, Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict, Security Sector Reform, Violence Regions: Africa, East Africa, West Africa Countries: Liberia, Uganda

Year: 2020

Gender Politics and Geopolitics of International Criminal Law in Uganda

Citation:

Bunting, Annie. 2018. "Gender Politics and Geopolitics of International Criminal Law in Uganda." Global Discourse 8 (3): 422-37.

Author: Annie Bunting

Abstract:

This paper explores the views of victim survivors – both men and women – on the current prosecution of Dominic Ongwen at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, including the crime of forced marriage. This case will be used as the central story around which the potential and limitations of international criminal law for gender justice will be explored. The Ongwen case has blurred the lines between victims and perpetrators of child soldiering and has generated much debate within and outside the continent. It has resuscitated the contestation and controversies surrounding the ICC regime in Uganda and Africa more broadly. The reflections I share in this paper come out of a collaborative research project I direct called ‘Conjugal Slavery in War: Partnerships for the study of enslavement, marriage and masculinities’ (CSiW 2015-2020). While Uganda and the Ongwen case will be central to this paper, our research project includes partners working with survivors of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and northern Nigeria. We collected well over 250 interviews with women who were abducted for forced marriage. Using interview data from Uganda, as well as court records, this paper explores in-depth the geopolitics and gender politics of prosecuting conjugal slavery as an international crime.

Keywords: ICC, gender violence, Crimes against Humanity, transitional justice

Topics: Combatants, Child Soldiers, Gender, International Law, International Criminal Law, Justice, Crimes against Humanity, Transitional Justice, Sexual Violence, Sexual Slavery Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2018

A Scoping Review of the Health of Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Women in Africa

Citation:

Amodu, Oluwakemi C., Magdalena S. Richter, and Bukola O. Salami. 2020. "A Scoping Review of the Health of Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Women in Africa." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 (4): 1-21. 

Authors: Oluwakemi C. Amodu, Magdalena S. Richter, Bukola O. Salami

Abstract:

Armed conflict and internal displacement of persons create new health challenges for women in Africa. To outline the research literature on this population, we conducted a review of studies exploring the health of internally displaced persons (IDP) women in Africa. In collaboration with a health research librarian and a review team, a search strategy was designed that identified 31 primary research studies with relevant evidence. Studies on the health of displaced women have been conducted in South- Central Africa, including Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and in Eastern, East central Africa, and Western Africa, including Eritrea, Uganda, and Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. We identified violence, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and malaria and as key health areas to explore, and observed that socioeconomic power shifts play a crucial role in predisposing women to challenges in all four categories. Access to reproductive health services was influenced by knowledge, geographical proximity to health services, spousal consent, and affordability of care. As well, numerous factors affect the mental health of internally displaced women in Africa: excessive care-giving responsibilities, lack of financial and family support to help them cope, sustained experiences of violence, psychological distress, family dysfunction, and men’s chronic alcoholism. National and regional governments must recommit to institutional restructuring and improved funding allocation to culturally appropriate health interventions for displaced women.

Keywords: internally displaced women, scoping review, women's health, Africa, health

Topics: Armed Conflict, Conflict, Displacement & Migration, Forced Migration, IDPs, Gender, Women, Health, Mental Health, Reproductive Health, Households, Livelihoods, Violence Regions: Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa Countries: Côte D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda

Year: 2020

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