Katakwi-Katakwi District has recorded over 1,000 Gender based Violence cases in the period of six months of this year 2023. This is the report by the District community Development Office who revealed that GBV is continuing to increase in different sub-counties of the district.
According to the reports, the year 2023 has not ended but the district has already registered over 1000 cases, also during the lock down because of the COVID-19 pandemic Katakwi district registered over 2000 cases.
Catherine Tino, the District community Development Officer, explains that poverty remains the major risk factor causing GBV among families. She also notes that families living below the poverty line have aided the vice of breaching children’s rights since parents look at dowry as one way of economic empowerment, hence early marriages as well escalate.
She notes that GBV and teenage pregnancy is now a very serious social problem, which must be fought through concerted efforts by all stakeholders.
Fredrick Adulai Otim, the Executive Director Foundation for Development of Children at Risk urges the government to educate masses on the dangers of GBV by emphasizing love to each other.
“We need local leaders to help in sensitization of the communities against GBV”, he said.
Andrew Joseph Koluo the member parliament for Toroma County says the rate at which GBV is escalated is perturbing. He says several districts in Teso have registered unprecedented numbers of GBV resulting from the social media technology.
Koluo says as a result of Gender Based Violence stress among families has caused death of stress due to psychological stress. He appealed to people to ignore stress through refreshing in exchange visits, taking physical exercise in order to forget.
Vice president Rtd Maj Jessica Alupo says the trend of Gender based violence in Katakwi and Uganda as well is a surprising and worrying trend for growth and development.
She urged the population to desist from the act and agree to combat GBV from households and live a happy family which is stress free.
