By Mary Asujo
The Slum Aid Project which supports slum women to prevent domestic violence has called on government to work out a funding programme to have medical police surgeons at most of the police stations with District Police Commanders.
The project’s objective is to prevent violence against women and children and enhance capabilities for women and girls in the slums of Uganda.
The project’s Executive Director, Agnes Kabanda Kyambadde said there is need for medical surgeon officers at Police Stations across the country to urgently examine the girls suspected of rape and defilement as this will help to process evidence that pin culprit in courts of law.
Ms Kyambadde made the remarks while addressing women groups during an Urban Settlements Women Forum (USWF) training at St Balikuddembe Catholic Church in Kisenyi on Saturday.
USWF is a platform that brings together women and girls who have suffered multiple forms of violence and discrimination. Some women suffer violence as a result of commercial sex work, sexual diversities, and disabilities or by being refugees.
Ms Kyambadde said that many cases of rape and defilement are reported to police but sometimes, the needed evidence is not available since parents do not have money to undertake medical examination on the defiled girls and ensure successful prosecution of the case so that the perpetuators are punished.
She added that sexual violence still remains high in slum communities in Kampala and other areas, calling for the urgent passing of the Sexual Offences Bill currently before parliament into law.
The founder of the Slum Aid project in Kampala Dr. Rose Gawaya urged women and village councils to always report cases teenage pregnancies, rape and defilement to police to enable the organization demand services that would avert these cases.
Gawaya explained that the Urban Settlements Women Forum will enable the women share information using the community scorecard to monitor the cases of violence against women and children in slum communities. The scorecard also going to be used to monitor the type of support offered to women who suffer violence.
One of the participants, Ms Margaret Mugambe a resident of Kinawataka, added that the training was an eye opener for participants to always take interest in the issues affecting her community as well as advance promote interests to protect women in communities.
“This Forum will help women share information from the community score card. The community scorecard will be used to monitor the case of violence against women and children. It’s also used to monitor the type of support offered to women who suffer violence, “noted Gawaya. The training was aimed at providing a significant platform to share information on violence against women and girls in the slum communities. The theme for this forum; envisioning a society free of violence against women and children.
Slum Aid Project is supported by UN Women under the Spotlight Initiative and Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund on violence against women and children (VAW/C) to strengthen capacities of women’s groups to participate in local governmental processes.
The project has four partners which include: Center for Justice Studies Institute, Sonke Gender Justice (South African based), INDLOBONGELA also south African and Women’s Groups in Kampala and Arua city slums. The Slum Aid Project attracts women, children and refugees in slum areas of Katwe Makerere-Kivulu, Nakulabye, Kisenyi, Kinawataka, Nagulu, Wabigalo, Kibuli among others.