Bunyoro women human rights defenders trained in defense
She says this network will help the women support themselves, recognize each other, and amplify the voices of fellow women in unity.
By Flavia Ajok
Hoima: Women human rights defenders in the Bunyoro region underwent training on Wednesday on how to defend themselves while in their line of duty.
During a one-day training held at the Hoima Resort Hotel, women human rights defenders from the nine districts that make up Bunyoro, together with navigators of the development association, disclosed the challenges they are facing and formed a platform where they will always address their issues.
Bunyoro subregion comprises the Hoima, Masindi, Kakumiro, Kagadi, Kibale, Buliisa, and Kiryadongo districts.
Beatrice Rukanyanga, a woman human rights defender in the Bunyoro region, revealed that the training will create unity since it’s a common unifying network.
Rukanyanga says this network will help the women support themselves, recognize each other, and amplify the voices of fellow women in unity.
She disclosed challenges the women human rights defenders are facing, among intimidations and arrests, and they are being denied from benefiting from government programs, like Emyooga, who says they are sidelining government programs because they are doing defending work.
Jenifer Baitwamasa, working with navigators of the development association, explained that it came to their attention that the women human rights defenders are going through a lot of challenges, have nowhere to run to, and are also being misunderstood by the community.
Baitwamasa says most women defenders are being sexually harassed, arrested, and subjected to domestic violence, among others, and believes that with the training they have, defenders have a backbone to lean on.
Ramula Asasira, a woman human rights defender in Nyairongo, Kikuube District, reveals that sometimes the cases they receive are beyond them, and they are being intimidated by the perpetrators.
Asasira says she has learned the importance of networking and how to defend themselves, among many other things that they have been trained to do.
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