Teso South MP Mary Emaase wants the national government to establish a national fund to support victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
She wants the House to resolve that the government, through the relevant ministry, needs to establish the fund to ensure that survivors of GBV have adequate, timely and unhindered access to quality services.
“At present, there are inadequate GBV response centres and shelters in the country with limited resources being provided for victims seeking assistance,” she said in her Notice of Motion.
She further said there are inadequate rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for victims and perpetrators of GBV.
“Victims of GBV, as well as perpetrators, require specialised professional assistance for full reintegration into the community,” she explained.
Emaase added that Article 29 of the Constitution provides the right of every person to freedom from any form of violence.
“GBV is a serious violation of human rights with records indicating that one in every three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime,” she stated.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), gender-based violence includes; sexual, physical, mental and economic harm inflicted in the public or private and may involve threats of violence, coercion and manipulation in the form of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Emaase further added that timely response and effective post-management of GBV incidences are critical in curbing the effects of incidences on victims.
