UGANDA: Report Criticizes Endless Suffering of PWD in North

The global rights body, Human Rights Watch (HRW) together with local rights activists have expressed grave concern over government's handling of the ongoing discrimination and gender based-violence against women with disabilities in Northern Uganda.

Representatives of the organization expressed their views last week at a function where they released a new report titled: "As if we were not women", which reveals gross discrimination and violence against women in post-conflict Northern Uganda.

"Uganda is one of the countries in Africa with the best policies and programmes on post conflict programs but the sad thing is that most of them remain on paper leaving many persons with disabilities especially women continuing to suffer endlessly," Said Maria Burnett, HRW Researcher for the African Division.

The report has catalogued a number of cases which illustrate deplorable mistreatment of PWDs ranging from rape to rude responses by service providers in both public and private organizations. The report further highlights the conspicuous absence of special facilities needed for handicapped persons.

Filda Achom, who lost both legs in a land mine explosion a few years back narrated the ordeal she went through when she went to deliver her baby at one health center in Kitgum district.
Achom said that unlike a few of her privileged counterparts with hand crank bicycles, she had to crawl for a whole day from her village many kilo meters away to the center.

"I nearly got a spanking when I failed to climb the labour bed because they are too high for many of us. One mid-wife snarled at me and asked me why I managed to get the pregnancy in the first place well knowing that I could not climb the bed later for labour," Achom deplored.

Deborah Iyute, the coordinator for Uganda National Association for the Deaf who is deaf herself says that while medical and other services may be available, they are useless for most people with hearing impairment because there are no interpreters in health centres.

Iyute noted that disabled women are also easy targets for rapists and other abusers whom they can't arraign in courts of law for legal redress due to lack of legal fees.

Sexual exploitation in cover of darkness

Besides the obvious mistreatment of PWDs in public places, the report highlights a more deep-seated but usually ignored problem of sexual exploitation of disabled women by men who usually after impregnating them abandon them.

One Edina, a 29 year old woman who fled her rural village for Lira town in 2004 is one of those who have been taken advantage of by men.

Edna narrated that the father of one of her children used to come to her house in the night for sex and leave immediately for fear of being associated with a blind woman.
The minister for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and the Elderly Sulaiman Madaada who was present when the report was being unveiled said that the government has tried to do empower PWD only that they are incapacitated by limited resources.

Madaada said that through ongoing government programmes like Peace and Recovery Development Plan (PRDP), Northern Uganda Social action Fund (NUSAF) the government is working towards minimizing the social and economic disadvantages faced by PWD in the region.

He however conceded that his ministry is unable to meet the challenges faced by PWD in the region largely because of a limited budget which has just been increased from a meager Ushs 1.5bn in the previous financial year to Ushs 3bn in the current financial year.

"I am optimistic that our budget will gradually increase in successive years as we continue to handle our mandate," Madaada added.
But many representatives from organizations working with PWDs dismissed Madaada's comments as mere embodiment of government's empty rhetoric.

UNAD's Deborah Iyute for instance said: "We have heard enough of such stories from government and they have not helped us. Our people have continued to suffer from sexual gender-based violence and other social ills. We are tired of such promises and now we want actions which will create a difference in the lives of our people."

HRW argues that Uganda has an obligation under national laws as well as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to respect and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
"As a state party to the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Uganda should ensure that women with disabilities enjoy all human rights on equal basis with others as well as implementing its laws to protect them from violence and ensuring their access to basic services," says HRW.

The report was compiled after a survey that was conducted early this year in six districts of Northern Uganda.

According to a survey carried out in 2007 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, it was discovered that 20% of Ugandans are carrying a disability. But Northern Uganda is however believed to have higher disability rates due to war-related injuries and limited access to treatment or vaccinations for disabling illnesses such as polio and measles among others.

PWD cannot seek justice in courts

According to Shantha Rau Bariga, a disability rights researcher and advocate, whereas more than one third of Northern Uganda women with disabilities have particularly experienced some form of sexual or physical abuse, none has been able to press any criminal charges to pursue prosecutions of their attackers!

"One of the untold stories of the long war in Northern Uganda and its aftermath is the isolation, neglect, and abuse of women and girls with disabilities. As Ugandans in the North struggle to reclaim their lives the government of Uganda and humanitarian agencies need to make sure that women with disabilities are not left out," Shantha challenged.

Challenges

The report noted that one of the key challenges in addressing rights for persons with disabilities in Northern Uganda remains the lack of sufficient data on the number of women with disabilities.

Shanta stated that Government and humanitarian agencies need to take up the challenge of collecting accurate information and use it to develop more inclusive programs for women with disabilities.
The report also brings to light existing gaps in PRDP which it says should be closed if the full benefits of the program are to be realized in the war ravaged region.
It pointed out for example, that while PRDP provides for infrastructure, such as teachers' houses, health facilities road renovations, and the purchase of desks and ambulances, it does not provide for social services or training and salaries for staff to work in the new schools and health centers.