Cultural leaders, civil society organisations and local government representatives from Jinja, Iganga, Buyende, and Kamuli districts pledged to integrate the ‘Culture in Development’ Approach into their programmes that promote the rights of women and girls, particularly mitigating violence against women and girls. The pledge was made at the end of a 3 days of training that took place in Jinja from 25th to 27th of August 2022. The training aimed at enhancing the capacity of the stakeholders to mainstream a ‘Culture in Development’ Approach into their programming activities.
On behalf of the Obwa’Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga, the Attorney General of the Kingdom, Mr. Kafuko Robert, and other cultural leaders pledged to use platforms such as Ekigangu (where women and girls are groomed) to educate communities about the role of culture in addressing violence against women and girls. They also pledged to revive mechanisms such as the fireplace to especially, groom young men to be responsible citizens and husbands when they grow up.
Local government representatives pledged to debrief their colleagues on the role that culture plays in addressing violence against women. They also pledged to include culture in their annual budgets and plans.
Civil society organisations pledged to identify cultural resources within their areas of operation and use them to empower women to realise their rights and to take into account the cultural context as they design community development interventions for the protection of women and girls. They also committed to consistently engage cultural leaders, especially in awareness campaigns on the rights of women and girls using culture.
The ‘Culture in Development’ approach training to end violence against women and girls
This approach recognises, builds upon, and integrates positive aspects of culture in all spheres of development; it uses practical examples to illustrate the value of culture in development (as a resource), and it acknowledges and manages the challenges associated with achieving synergy between the ‘modern’ and the traditional.
CCFU organised the training to enhance the capacity of cultural leaders, local government representatives, and civil society organisations on how they can integrate the approach in their programming to promote the rights of women and girls. The workshop involved the mapping of such cultural resources and how they can be used. Participants visited cultural resource persons to understand their role in promoting the rights of women and girls.
About the Culture for Her project
With financial support from UN Women (Uganda), the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) is implementing a second phase of the Culture for Her project with the aim of consolidating the use of positive cultural resources to end violence against women and girls, promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights and access to justice in Uganda.
The project is an extension of the first phase and builds on the recommendations of research conducted under the theme “Promoting the rights of women and girls in Uganda; Is culture the missing link?” The focus of the project is piloting positive cultural practices within the 6 cultural communities which can be utilised to address VAWG, promote SRHR, and access justice.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, six cultural institutions of Acholi, Alur, Buganda, Busoga, Karamoja, and Tooro as well as District Local Governments of selected districts within the cultural institutions.
You are welcome to read publications arising from research conducted in six cultural institutions, on how cultural resources can promote the rights of women and girls.
https://crossculturalfoundation.or.ug/ccfu/2022/08/30/cultural-leaders-civil-society-organisations-and-local-government-representatives-commit-to-using-cultural-resources-to-promote-the-rights-of-women-and-girls/