UGANDA: Women War Survivors Call For Inclusion

At the 15th African Union Summit held in Kampala from 19-27 July, Isis WICCE joined several civil society organizations in Africa to put up activities to inform the Heads of State to bring the issues of women to the discussion table. In collaboration with Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS) through a program called Gender is my Agenda (GIMAC), Isis-WICCE held a pre-summit consultative meeting on strengthening gender in the African Union.

Believing that those who hurt most know best, Isis-WICCE brought women beneficiaries of her programs to be at the centre of organised pre summit discussions and activities. The most focus point was bringing the leaders to understand the intersection between conflict and sexual gender based violence and HIV/AIDS. There are still strategic needs and many unheard concerns of women war survivors thus making sexual and reproductive health a centre of deliberations in line with the summit theme; Maternal, Infant and Child Health and development in Africa.

In an engaging GIMAC conference that was opened by the former President of Ireland and the Chairperson of Civil Society Advisory Group to the United Nations on Women Peace and Security Ms Mary Robinson. Isis-WICCE and partners fully brought forward women survivors and facts in the different regions to show the ill health of most women war survivors on the continent. Their participation emphasised the fact that involving them in post conflict reconstruction programs is important to their lives.

Isis-WICCE organized two sessions where it showcased the work done in partnership with Urgent Action Fund-Africa in Liberia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. During one of the sessions, Mary Robinson launched Isis-WICCE and Urgent action Fund Africa book “Restoring Hope: In their own voices”, and another book by Helen Liebling Kalifani and Bruce Baker in partnership with Isis-WICCE entitled “Justice and Health Provision for Survivors of Sexual Violence”. The two books highlighted the stories detailing the experiences of survivors of sexual violence and proposals on best way to respond to their health needs.

The women's experiences shared at the meeting brought about key recommendations that with proper funding and support put in the hands of survivors, significant transformation can be achieved in their lives.

At this forum, a bottom-up approach was emphasized in ensuring that vulnerable groups' access drugs, are economically empowered, in addition to promoting the understanding of rights o HIV positive women.

Mobile caravan raises women's rights issues

In the lead up to the 15th African Union summit in Kampala, Isis-WICCE took part in themobile caravan which aimed at bringing together men, women and children from East African region to popularize the 2003 Protocol for Women's rights in Africa. There has been lack of domestication of most ratified codes and standards on women's issues by several governments. By the start of the summit, Uganda ratified the Maputo Protocol which complements other instruments that spell out women's rights to health on the continent.

During the caravan there was provision of voluntary counselling and testing of HIV/AIDS and public rallies where issues of maternal health were highlighted. The caravan was organized in partnership with Akina Mama wa Afrika under the Uganda Coalition for African Women's Rights.

Women call for more health funding at concert

As part of the pre-summit activities to advocate for maternal and child health and especially to urge governments to live up to their commitments on health, Isis-WICCE joined other partners, among others, Oxfam Africa; Global Fund, Save the Children; Fair Play for Africa, to organize a concert. UNICEF goodwill ambassador, singer and activist Yvonne Chaka Chaka performed to support women voices demanding the fulfilment of the 2001 Abuja declaration on health funding in Africa.

The women's testimonies showed the urgent need to fulfil the declaration so that women in post conflict communities could easily access health services. The concert that brought artists across the continent like Maiko Zulu from Zambia Joanita Kawalya and Bobi Wine from Uganda and Mingas from Mozambique, focused on prevention of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) as well as bringing out the challenges that countries face to in achieving MDG five.

Under the message; “Hakuna Wakati Abuja 15 % Sasa” the concert was used as an avenue for women to tell their stories. One lady said “please do not stop here, continue with us on this journey, our lives are now at the peak, a promise is a debt.”

The musicians signed portraits of women living positively with HIV/AIDS and Chaka Chaka who was due to address the African heads of States committed to take the message on increasing the budgets on funding for health.

Photo exhibition

Isis-WICCE also participated at a photo exhibition at the AU summit venue Munyonyo Resort within the framework of the Year of Peace and Security (YoPS) in Africa, the African Union and in partnership with United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). At the exhibition presidents were able to see the work done by Isis-WICCE and the photos mainly portrayed issues of prevention of violence, promotion of women's rights and participation of women in post conflict reconstruction.

All these events aimed at informing the presidents and other participants the progress made under UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The exhibition was later opened to the public from July 28 to 29 at Nommo Gallery.

Also during the summit, H.E Mary Robinson and the Board President of Isis-WICCE Dr Thelma Awori took key messages to President Yoweri Museveni. They emphasized the need for Uganda as a chair of the UN Security Council in October to mobilize other states to implement the Resolution 1325 and make it a reality in Africa. The president expressed his awareness of the problems facing women in northern Uganda and promised to take it up with the Ministry of health.