Addressing Sexual Violence against Men in Northern Uganda: Sexual Violence among Male Youth (15-20 years) in Pader District

Rape and sexual violence committed against men in Uganda is believed to be widespread (UN OCHA, 2008). However, inconsistent definitions of rape, different rates of reporting, recording, prosecution and conviction of rape create controversial statistical disparities. Very few organizations are assisting male survivors of sexual violence, focusing almost solely on women (IRIN, 2011). Voices of male victimized minorities have remained isolated and without a concrete collective voice of a constituency of men, NGOs or humanitarian agencies to challenge the status quo. In light of this, this project seeks to champion campaigns geared towards reducing sexual violence against male- youth (15-20 years old) in northern Uganda, through methods such as community dialogues for youth at the grassroots level, training and sensitization for in-school youths, local language radio programs, and continued networking with youth organizations. This will contribute to the reduction of violence against male youth, influence policies to also focus on male sexual violence and foster change in attitude towards male survivors of sexual violence among communities.