Eassi’s Weblog

My Experience so far at EASSI has been very interesting ,Before coming here I was not informed really about what Women’s movements are doing, And this time I am realizing that For every change there should be people to raise their voices and speak on behalf of the unprivileged and put on “ light what was in the darkness”.

Now I am getting wonderful opportunity to gain theoretical and practical experiences in various Fields. These included Gender related issues and programs related to Women in conflict resolution, Women and governance, women in decision making and the rights of Women and Girls.

According to useful information I am gaining now ,I am discovering about the level of inequality and all discrimination against women which exist now in our world
And how we can all stand up for fighting them.

I am now more gender Focused, and I encourage other Girls and Women to be active in this field and without forgetting our brothers , to be with us and fight against all sorts of Discrimination that are affecting women .

On 29th April 2009, Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), a Pan-African International non-governmental organization based in Kampala, Uganda will launch a 3-year project on “The Power of Women’s Leadership and Movement Building: Gender Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Conflict and Post Conflict Africa”. This regional project will be implemented in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Western Africa (Sierra Leone) and is supported by a grant from the MDG3 Fund, an initiative of the Netherlands Government. The overall objective of project is to contribute to improved formulation and implementation of gender responsive policies at national and regional levels that reflect African women’s experiences in conflict situations.
The project will be launched by the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda at a Reception Dinner on 29th April 2009 at 6.30pm. The project launch will be the climax of a Regional Consultative Meeting hosted by AMwA and attended by over 30 partners from over 5 countries in Africa who will be gathered at Munyonyo Commonwealth Speke Resort from 28th – 29th April 2009 to deliberate on women’s leadership in the context of gender based violence and sexual and reproductive rights in conflict and post-conflict countries in Africa.
“AMwA is proud to be a recipient of the Millennium Development Goal3 Fund, which is a long-awaited initiative that heeds the calls from women’s movements across the world for the scaling up of funding for women’s empowerment and gender equality. In this time of financial crisis, women still continue to face violence and we – governments, donors and NGOs – need to direct all our resources to addressing and eliminating violence against women”, says Solome Nakaweesi-Kimbugwe, Executive Director, Akina Mama wa Afrika.
In several African countries, women’s sexuality and sexual and reproductive health and rights are controlled and subjugated by men under the pretext of culture, norms, morality and religion. Armed conflict worsens the violations of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. These violations include physical, gynaecological, psychological/emotional trauma and other complications such as: unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, prolonged tears, urinary fistula, faecal fistula, chronic sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, rejection/stigma from their families and communities, post traumatic stress disorders, depression and suicidal attempts. In most post-conflict countries, many reconstruction, peace building and rehabilitation initiatives hardly address the women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.
When it comes to women’s peace and security, Africa’s current leadership is lagging behind in its accountability to women. In spite of the effects of armed conflict on women as victims and perpetrators, they have not meaningfully been involved in decision-making around peace-building, rehabilitation and reconstruction. It is therefore imperative that women are equipped with leaderships skills to enable them to ensure that government policies, programs and budgets protect women’s rights, particularly in the context of peace and security as stipulated in national, regional and international human rights standards such as UN Resolution 1325; UN Resolution 1820 the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Protocol), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Beijing Platform for Action.
For more information, please contact Solome Nakaweesi-Kimbugwe, Executive Director, AMwA at solome@amwa-ea.org / amwa@amwa-ea.org; Tel: +256414543681 /0752 463154

Production of Country Status Reports.
EASSI took up the task of producing Country Status Reports on the implementation of the PFAs, MDGs and other women’s rights instruments. The production of the Country Status Reports went through a development process of: training respondents in all the 8 countries in 2006 and 2007 on the use of the Monitoring Tool, identification of national researchers, carrying out the research, compilation of information and editing of reports. In order to strengthen and disseminate the outcome of the research process, a two day peer review workshop was held in Kigali, Rwanda at which the 8 Country Status Reports were presented.

End Term Evaluation
EASSI conducted its end term evaluation in the first quarter of the year 2008. Under the guidance of a feminist consultant and someone with knowledge of EASSI, an analysis of EASSI’s strengths , weaknesses and spaces for opportunity which were realized during the strategic period of 2005 to 2008 were put forth. These helped in informing the new strategic planning process. The evaluation not only measured the annual work plans and reports but also staff performance, motivation, capacity building and areas of personal empowerment which could affect performance. The consultant also rated EASSI amongst other regional organizations with different focuses leading to gender equality. As a result, EASSI was able to internally reflect and make suitable changes to raising its profile and also making greater marks on the continent in the area of gender equality. More details are described in the report.

Internship evaluation
As part of the end term evaluation, EASSI managed to make a critical overview of the internship programme that has been in existence since 2000. Under this annual program, four young women from the region are trained to become leaders of excellence and ambassadors of gender. The evaluation of the programme brought to light the need for a well-guided curriculum and clear expectations o each individual.

Strategic Plan
This was a result of the end term evaluation. Together with board members and partners, EASSI created a new strategic plan for 2009-2013. Under this, new areas whose relevance was realized from various fora , recent events in the women’s movement and also global and national issues. The following themes will be the focus for 2008.

Women’s Rights and Gender equality
Women’s reproductive health and sexual rights
Women in the peace process

Regional Women’s Peace Initiative
EASSI, during the aftermath of the post-election violence in Kenya, took three approaches to the situation. The first was responding physically to the needs of the refugees in the Uganda camps. EASSI approached Uganda Red Cross and through her partners and networks, collected many basic necessities for the survival of the refugees. The second was conducting a Regional Women’s Peace Initiative in Kenya with key stakeholders of the region. The third was the SMS campaign. This campaign was held mainly to support the girl child in Kenya that had suffered atrocities during the post-election violence in Kenya. Together with (Women of Uganda Network) WOUGNET, EASSI approached the use of short text messaging on phone as an information tool. WOUGNET provided IT support and for three weeks of March ,messages raising awareness were sent to over 250 individuals from all over the world. Many participants came from advocacy and human rights organizations.

The Women’s Peace Initiative.

In February 2008 over 50 women gathered at the Stanley Hotel in central Nairobi. The occasion was a solidarity visit bringing voices of women from 8 Eastern African countries in solidarity with their Kenyan sisters following the post electoral violence that arose in December 2007. EASSI mobilized and led a team of 16 women from Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. EASSI had noted that Kenyan women bore the brunt of the violence alone. There was no collective African regional voice and there was a strong need to bring their voices together to express solidarity with Kenyan women and support their efforts towards peace building.

By Patson Bareire

Ishasha

Congolese women, who fled to Uganda to escape the fighting between Laurent Nkunda’s rebel forces and DR Congo government forces, are accusing Ugandan men along the border of sexually harassing them.

It is alleged that the men in Ishasa, Kanungu District have taken advantage of the vulnerability of the Congolese women to raid their temporary shelter at night and rape them.

One of the victims, identified as Jeanette Mukankusi in her early 30’s said lately she has been staying awake all night to wade off some unruly men who frequent her place of abode.

“Our coming to Uganda was to seek refuge but not to be abused so we would rather go back to our country,” she told Daily Monitor.

She said some of their children, as young as ten years haven’t been spared either. The RDC, Mr Ben Rullonga, however, denied any alleged sexual harassment saying that he has not received such reports. He appealed to whoever has got credible information to forward it to him so that the perpetrators can be apprehended and punished.

UNHCR Public Affairs Officer Roberta Russo also denied any knowledge of the incident when Daily Monitor reached her, although she said there have been reports of sexual harassment by the Laurent Nkunda’s rebels within DRC. “Ideally we would be in the know if it was a phenomenon,” she said.

So far, Ms Russo said, 1,000 refugees have been transported from Ishasha to Nakivale refugee camp, in Isingiro District. Kisoro is still playing host to 7,000 refugees. According to UNHCR estimates, 400 refugees arrive every day into Uganda.

Some of the refugees however are resisting the relocation, citing poor handling by UNCHR, a claim that was denied by Ms Russo.

“We are in the process of asking for more funds for water and sanitation facilities,” she said.
Over 600 people mainly women and children who entered Uganda through the border point of Ishasha since Wednesday last week were temporary sheltered at Ishasha Primary School.

Whereas some have gone to Nakivale, a certain section has opted to stay behind, which according to Mr Rullonga is very dangerous.

Mr Rullonga said not all of the people who crossed the border accepted to go the refuge Camp in Isingiro and some of them have resorted to live with their friends and relative in Uganda, which is very dangerous.

Source: www.monitor.co.ug

BOOK REVIEW: Today You Will Understand

AUTHORS: Members of Uganda Women Writers’ Association (FEMRITE)

PUBLISHER: IRIN, Supported by Federal Republic of Germany

REVIEWER: Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

Books come with a CD and can be found at FEMRITE (+256 772 743943) or IRIN offices (+254 20 762 2147).

This is a collection of true harrowing tales of Women of Northern Uganda during the harsh times of the conflict led by LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony. Most of the women still live in IDP camps. The testimonies that were recorded were aired by local radio stations and later IRIN documented the work.

EASSI has also been engaged in the work around Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW0 and the effect on women and children. EASSI has already developed gender mainstreaming guidelines and is also involved in engendering the National Action plans on SALW in East Africa.

Today you Will Understand: (Names have been changed)

One widow recalls how her husband died from AIDS. After testing several times and finding that she was HIV negative, she appeals to other widows to remain strong at heart in order to look after the children.

Mildred fights back tears as she recounts the experience at Abia camp in 2004. After hearing gunshots from a distance, she gathered her six children into her hut. Soldiers in uniform started setting several huts ablaze and she feared for her children who sought refuge under the bed. As she struggled to let them out, fire gutted her door. Her children cried for Mama to pour water onto their burning backs. Other people told the children to keep quiet lest the rebels returned. The next morning dead bodies lay strewn all over. Her landlord had been burnt to death with only his skull left in ashes.

For Beatrice, her husband left her for another woman. He did not leave her with anything but she cultivated the little she had. Her husband however took them away. Her in-laws intervened and even tried to convince her to go back to her husband. He threatened to kill her.

Beatrice says, “He can kill me with a knife and no one will follow him. At the police station of you kill your wife, you stay in for only three days, that’s shy I am afraid.”

These and other stories give a face to the effect of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the need to analyse it with a gender lens.

Title of book: In the Name of Honour (A Memoir)

Author: Mukhtar Mai

Publisher: Virago Press, 2007

Reviewer: Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

Mukhtar Mai has the fortitude of a lioness. This memoir is a struggle of a real woman with real problems that came to the surface after the worst humiliation any woman from her clan in Pakistan could receive. Instead of giving up in a suicidal act, she rose up from the ruins. Mukhtar is a Pakistani woman from a lower caste in Southern Punjabi called Gujar. Her brother, Shakur, is wrongfully accused of rape of one girl belonging to a richer caste, Mastoi. In form of justice, as is usually done, the Mastoi rape a woman, usually a sister to the accused in order to clear his name. The unfortunate woman chosen is Mukhtar Mai, sister to the accused. Her punishment: Brutal rape by 4 members of the mastoid clan in front of the community. Most women after this ordeal, commit suicide, because the shame is too much to bear. For Mukhtar, it was different. In her search for justice, her biggest handicap is her illiteracy because girls and women are not permitted to formal education. However, her resilience and steed work in her favour. As a result, Mukhtar has become the voice of the voiceless in Pakistan and the region beyond. Through the quest for justice, she has gained international support and has managed to establish a small school in Southern Punjab for young girls.