The Executive Director of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), Julius Mukunda has been elected for a two-year term as Africa’s representative at the World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) Working Group.

The CSPF Working Group is an elected group of representatives that serve as a civil society interlocutor with the WB and IMF civil society teams to effectively achieve the objectives of the Forum as a means for engagement and a platform for a globally and thematically diverse group of civil society to voice their concerns, share ideas and experiences, and dialogue with staff on a wide range of issues and development topics.

CSPF provides space for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to dialogue and exchange views with World Bank Group and IMF staff, their peers, government delegations, and other stakeholders on a wide range of topics.

The World Bank Africa region’s strategy for civil society focuses on four pillars:

Strengthening engagement with civil society, parliamentarians and faith-based organizations at the country and regional levels for effective local development solutions

Partnering on actions to promote social inclusion of the marginalized in the development process.

Promoting social accountability including CSOs’ monitoring of Bank operations for development effectiveness.

Advocating for and promoting greater voice and space for African civil society in the development debate.

CSOs according to the World Bank are at the forefront of the development work in the countries. By working closely with communities, CSOs can help ensure that the voice and needs of local populations are taken into account in the design of development programs.

CBTP congratulates Mr Julius Mukunda on this great appointment for service. We wish him and the team a successful term. We will be looking forward to interacting with the team during their term of service.

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The outgoing U.S Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac, has launched a campaign dubbed ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.’

The launch event took place days ago at Waluwerere Church of Uganda Primary School in Bugiri District and was attended by the Bugiri District leadership and other officials, along with students and teachers.

The event highlighted the U.S. government’s commitment to prevent gender-based violence through its programs, including the USAID/Uganda Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA) that works to improve children’s reading skills in 3,450 primary schools in 43 districts of Uganda.

LARA is currently expanding to Bugiri, and in coordination with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is launching its Journeys program to prevent and respond to HIV and gender-based violence in 25 government-aided primary schools in the district.

In her remarks at the event, Malac said, “The introduction of this program into the school is dependent on the teachers, but the parent and community components are in your hands.  For those of you here who are parents, from one parent to another I ask you please to engage with your school and utilize the opportunities for parental and community involvement in this program.  Make it a success!”

As part of the campaign activities, Malac and students toured the U.S. Mission’s Nile Explorer Bus, a library and computer lab on wheels.  Supported through a partnership between the U.S. Mission and a Ugandan technology incubator called HIVE Colab. The bus promotes literacy; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills; and life skills for Ugandan school children in underserved rural areas.  U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers regularly contribute to the Nile Explorer’s teaching activities throughout the country, and Peace Corps participated in Monday’s launch.

Through the life skills component of the bus, the children at Waluwerere Church Primary School will receive an introduction to the Journeys curriculum throughout this week.

In addition, the U.S. Mission has provided the bus with handouts for the community containing violence reporting and victim support resources, including the 116 Uganda Child Help Line (UCHL).

The bus will stay in Bugiri for one week to involve students in innovative educational activities, introduce the LARA/Journeys curriculum, and provide GBV reporting resources, before moving to other areas of Uganda.

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The Ministry of Finance is to release Shs20 billion for emergency response to areas which have been recently hit by flooding.

The Minister of State for Finance (Planning), David Bahati who was responding to a Shs43 billion request from the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, said that all that money cannot be released immediately.

“Not all the money is needed now. We shall avail the shs20 billion in the next two days,” Bahati said.

Bahati’s commitment follows a report by the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Hon Musa Ecweru during plenary sitting on 26 November 2019.

Ecweru said there is need for an urgent response to 38,000km of district roads, 98,000km of urban roads and 79,000km of village access roads which have been destroyed by floods. He added that 20 bridges require overhaul.

“The above normal rain has caused water logging in many villages causing huge post-harvest destruction. Affected population of over eight million requires immediate shelter and relief food. Twenty districts are most prone to waterborne diseases,” said Ecweru.

He added that the impact of flooding is highest in the regions of Bugisu, Teso, Bukedi, Kigezi and Rwenzori as well as the districts of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kasese.

“Eighty five per cent of the population in these regions and districts are facing severe losses of livelihoods in addition to destruction of commonly used infrastructure. The Bugisu region has experienced landslides in addition to flooding,” he said.

The Minister of State for Health, n Sarah Opendi advised the Minister for Disaster Preparedness to identify priority areas so that the funds are properly utilized.

“The ministry should explain to the House the identified priority areas because it looks like the bulk of the money will go to roads,” she said.

The Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga advised the ministry to involve the district disaster committees while identifying priority areas.

“The minister should prepare a schedule of the priority areas and report to the House tomorrow,” said Kadaga.

Legislators raised concern over the distribution of the funds saying that the ministry should ensure that all affected regions are covered.

Buyaga West County MP, Barnabas Tinkasimire, pointed out that there should be no repeat of reports where the Minister for Disaster was accused of misusing funds.

MP Hellen Asamo (NRM, PWDs Eastern) called for affirmative action for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) while distributing relief.

“PWDs miss out because distribution of relief items is characterised by struggles which we cannot engage in,” she said.

In October this year, the Meteorological Department forecast that the country would experience above-normal rains between the months of September and December.

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Uganda Police has vowed to intensify the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV)as it joins hands with other partners in the country.

According to the Director Research, Planning and Development, AIGP Edward Ochom, their commitment is as per the constitutional mandate, cooperate with civilian agencies in protecting life and property and joins the global community in making a statement on behalf of women and girls suffering violence.

Ochom urged the community and partners to join hands and respond to the cry of women and girls in our respective communities.

 “According to the crime report 2018 presented in May 2019, it showed a decrease in the volume of crimes by 5.25 per cent and on the other hand an increase in sexual related crimes with 17,521 as compared to 16,862 indicating 659 increase.” He said that violence is experienced by both women and men in Uganda and stands at 51 per cent which is far above the African average of about 37.7 per cent

The Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, Per Lindgarde, said “Human rights and access to justice for women and girls is core of Sweden’s intervention in Uganda and working with Uganda Police is of great important when it comes to increased access to justice for women and girls and women’s economic empowerment.”

“Sweden pledges continued support to the justice sector in terms of capacity building of formal justice actors adding that, it will focus on the entire justice chain from entry to exit in terms of investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating GBV cases in a gender responsive, victim-centered and trauma-informed matter.”

Ochom revealed that, Police has set up structures such as Sexual Gender Based Violence desk, Child and Family Protection Unite, Women Affairs and Community Liaison Offices to respond to the cry of battered women and girls.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an International Campaign which takes place every year commencing on 25th November, the international day for the elimination of violence against Women to 10th December.

It was initiated by activists at the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and it is commemorated and coordinated each year by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership.

This time, a caravan has been put in place to traverse the country and help during the 12 days activism in sensitization of the masses in the fight against gender based violence.

This year, a hashtag #GenerationEquality and #orangetheworld were created in line with the society evidence of violence episodes against Women and Girls who are marginalised and their lives suppressed due to cultural socialization process.

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