A Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Ambassador's Dialogue with GEST Alumni in Uganda

Last week, GEST alumni in Uganda participated in a dialogue with Ambassador Unnur Orradóttir Ramette, as a part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign. The event was organized by GEST Alumni – Uganda Chapter, led by Sophia Nabukenya, with support from the Icelandic Embassy in Kampala, and took place at the School of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University. At the event, the GEST alumni issued a call to the Ugandan government to end violence against women and girls.

Despite the work that has been done to combat violence against women and girls in Uganda, progress is limited. Therefore, there is a clear need to improve public policy in the field of gender equality. The GEST fellows and the Embassy of Iceland in Kampala call on the Ugandan government and other stakeholders to invest in several critical areas of action, including investing more resources in the implementation of the existing laws and policies on gender-based violence; raising awareness on violence against women and girls online; continuing to engage men and boys in the fight against gender-based violence; supporting women and girls in breaking the silence and creating safe spaces where they can feel free to talk about gender-based violence; and enacting laws and policies that address violence against women and girls.