Prevention violence against children in Uganda

Background Uganda has implemented laws expected to guarantee the safety of children in homes and institutions. Key line ministries responsible for children’s affairs have prepared statutory instruments and regulations... [ view full abstract ]

Background
Uganda has implemented laws expected to guarantee the safety of children in homes and institutions. Key line ministries responsible for children’s affairs have prepared statutory instruments and regulations relevant to child safety, such as The Children’s Act, The Employment Act, The Domestic Violence Act, The Children Trafficking Act, and others.

Key points
Recent studies indicate increased violence against children more than two-thirds (75.8%) reported having experienced sexual violence, such as being touched, Girls experienced sexual violence more often than boys, with 46.5% reporting that had been touched sexually against their will and one fifth (20.5%) reporting that they had been forced to have sex. A total of 13.3% of the boys reported being forced to have sex, and 27% reported being touched sexually against their will.

Recommendations/ Way forward on Child Protection

The Children ACT (CAP 59) is another tool that can be embraced by civil society organizations in their sensitization seminars to sensitize masses on child rights, child protection, child responsibilities and all forms of child abuse.
Local policing in the communities is another key issue, the local leaders to be more involved in implementing and monitoring child care programs either by government or civil society organizations.
All stakeholders especially parents should be equipped with tips on how best they can address the issue of child labour – working in bars, house girls with little pay in return – children are being used to work as bar attendants eventually as sexual objects.

Every stakeholder should be trained to advocate to stop Corporal punishments: especially by teachers in schools and their parents at home. Some teachers and parents think that corporal punishment is the only way to discipline a child.