RAHU Champions 16 days of activism campaign in Uganda

Dubbed #16daysAndMore, Reach A Hand Uganda along with different partners and stakeholders launched their 16 days of activism campaign on the 25th of November with a fleet of interesting activities in Uganda.

Humphrey Nabimanya (in a black cap) the CEO of Reach A Hand Uganda leads a Marching procession yesterday

Ranging from a Marching procession to entertainment from Wembley Mo dance group, ended with a dialogue that focused on the intersection between GBV and HIV and how the presence of one exacerbates the prevalence of the other in the communities.

Just like the rest of the world, Reach A Hand Uganda and its partners focused on the global theme for this year’s 16 Days of activism, which is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls.”
Girls and women are an essential force in our country.

When girls and women are granted the opportunity to pursue their dreams and live independent lives, they can contribute largely to the growth and development of the nation. However, in some communities and settings, these opportunities have been denied due to cultural nor s and other societal factors. This has contributed to the rise in cases of Gender-Based Violence.

“While giving his speech, the guest of honor Asan Kasingye noted that there is still a big linkage between GBV and HIV and both have contributed to the different inequalities in society.
The recently released Uganda annual police Crime Report of 2021 highlighted that sex-related offenses and defilement rates within the country increased and this shows the gap that we need as different stakeholders and the country at large.”

Humphrey Nabimanya the CEO of Reach A Hand Uganda highlighted that among other challenges such as gender-based violence and gender inequalities, one of the major stumbling blocks to the success of the girl child in Uganda is a lack of access to sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) and family planning (FP) services and resources.

Asan Kasingye, former Assistant Inspector General of Police serving as a Political Commissar was the chief guest yesterday

In Uganda, more than 60% of sexually active adolescent girls aged 15-19 have an unmet need for modern contraception and this number has increased the rate of HIV/AIDs, unintended pregnancies, and poverty.

The #16dayAndMore campaign was mainly targeting young people and stakeholders all aimed to create awareness and amplify girls, women, and young people’s voices on the different forms of Gender-Based Violence.