By Our Reporter
PRESS STATEMENT
DELIVERED BY
HON. MUTUUZO PEACE REGIS
MINISTER OF STATE FOR GENDER AND CULTURE AFFAIRS
ON THE
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE, AND FAMILY AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
DURING THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC IN UGANDA
AT THE
UGANDA MEDIA CENTER, KAMPALA
Dear Members of the Press,
To further strengthen the directives issued by H. E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the Ministry of Health in relation to the Corona Virus pandemic, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has developed a number of Standard Operating Procedures in line with its mandate.
Today, I present to you guidelines to prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence. I will also offer guidelines to regulate Family and Cultural activities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
1) MEASURES TO RESTRAIN GBV
The world has registered a surge in domestic violence directed towards women and girls, and Uganda has not been an exception. The media has documented some of the human rights abuses that women, girls and children are facing in different parts of the country as a consequence of the pandemic.
We have seen men turn against their wives and attempt to throw them out of their homes together with the children. Horrifying scenes of men beating up women have also been shared widely so social media.
In other incidences, pregnant women have been tortured and harassed as they desperately venture out to seek health services. Unfortunately our security agencies have been involved in these acts of violence.
As a Ministry mandated to formulate policies and regulations to safeguard vulnerable persons, we condemn these acts of violence in the strongest terms and call for an end to this undesired behaviour.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development therefore offers the following guidelines to ensure that violence against women is stopped and perpetrators are handled as per the laws.
– All community members are implored to be on the lookout for early warning signs of GBV within their societies. This call goes to relatives and friends, neighbours, police, LCs, cultural leaders, Community Development Workers, and women and men action groups among others.
– Once cases have been identified, immediately engage the victim/survivor in discussions about the situation. We need to advise anyone experiencing domestic violence to seek help and support from Local Councils or community workers in your respective areas.
– Immediately report the issue to the nearest Police Station/post. It’s everyone’s responsibility to break the silence and report cases of GBV to the nearest authorities.
– Communities are also urged to refrain from cultural and community practices that promote gender inequality e.g. forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
– Instead of using violence, choose to talk to your partner to address challenges in your family. The pandemic will come to pass. Let it leave your family with a stronger bond. Therefore let us talk and support each through this tough time.
– Home is the safest place to avoid COVID-19 infection. Stay home and keep it a safe place for all your family members, women, men, fathers, mothers, children and relatives under your care.
– Everyone has a right to a safe family. Stay at home and protect your family.
– Security personnel enforcing the lockdown rules are encouraged to facilitate pregnant mothers access health services so that lives of both the mother and children are saved.
– Lastly, I remind all of us to desist from being accomplices to this vice of Gender Based Violence but ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
Once again, I call upon all GBV actors including; the police at all levels, Local councils, Legal Aid providers, Health workers, Psychosocial support teams, Probation officers, GBV shelter staff, Community leaders, Community Development Officers, Courts of Law and the media to be proactive in protecting women, girls and all children against violence.
2) TO HELP FAMILY UNITS COPE WITH THE PANDEMIC, THE MINISTRY RECOMMENDS AS FOLLOWS;
a) Each family to create a COVID-19 Task force. The head of the family (the parent or guardian) will be the head of the family task force supported by other family members. The Head is generally responsible for coordination and mobilisation of all family members at home, their safety and strict observance of the mannerisms in relation to COVID-19.
b) Some of the roles of the family taskforce will be to keep all family members abreast with information about COVID-19, ensure that members adhere to Ministry of Health regulations and keep critical contacts in case of emergencies.
c) Parents are encouraged to take advantage of the stay home period to build better relationship with their children and family and also involve everyone in the family including children to plan for the family resources and prioritize the urgent needs.
d) Respect the ban on visitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. No family member should be allowed to go visiting another family, even in the neighbourhood, and don’t allow visitors into your home. However, you are encouraged to constantly keep communicating to your family members elsewhere through telephones or social media or internet
e) All home discos, cultural dances, plays and video shows, birthday parties that might attract the attention of the neighbours should be suspended immediately and keep social distancing even within the house.
f) Family daily prayers while observing social distance are encouraged although inter-home prayers are suspended
g) Every family member who purposely moves out of the home shall on return be made to wash his or her hands with soap as soon as he or she returns.
h) The family taskforce members while observing the hygiene practices and other measures should ensure that the special category of family members are treated and cared for. These include; babies, children, older persons, Persons with Disabilities, the terminally ill and expecting mothers.
i) Every village health team member or para social worker or local council executive member shall be responsible for tracking the happenings in at least one family at risk within a village.
3) CULTURE ACTIVITIES, ARTISTS AND MUSIC SHOWS
The following measures shall be enforced to operationalize the Presidential directive on the suspension of cultural activities in the lockdown period.
a) Marriage ceremonies such as giving of marriage gifts, home visits and resolving marriage disagreements physically are suspended.
b) Wedding functions in Churches and Mosques should be attended by less than ten people inclusive of the Religious leader presiding over the function.
c) Traditional dances of all kinds should be suspended
d) Rituals/cultural rites such as worship rites, rites of passage, kinship and ritual kinship ceremonies, culinary traditional practices, birth rites, seasonal ceremonies are also suspended.
e) Death of a person outside the hospital should be communicated to the LC chairperson who will inform the medical teams to take charge of the burial
f) Congregating at the home of the deceased should be avoided except for close family members and other authorized persons who should observe social distancing and hygiene.
g) Funeral rites for the dead, which brings many people together, is suspended until further notice
h) Selling of food and other items near the home of the dead or at the burial grounds is prohibited
i) Provision of hygiene facilities like hand washing with soap must be provided at the burial.
j) Mourners sleeping over after burial at the funeral place is forbidden
k) Any sick person in the home should be communicated to the health personnel
l) Relatives and friends coming to see physically the condition of the sick person is not allowed, communication can be by telephones, social media or internet.
m) Advertisement or any form of promotion of traditional medicine in the name of treatment of COVID-19 is not allowed. The promoters should be arrested
4) FOR THE SAFETY OF CULTURAL LEADERS AND THEIR SUBJECTS, THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES APPLY WHERE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS EXIST;
a) All kinds of visits to the palaces of the Kings/Cultural Leaders are not allowed.
b) All coronation anniversaries and other cultural events at the palaces are suspended
c) All residences of cultural leaders must adhere to the hygiene conditions and social distancing as provided by Ministry of Health
d) All cultural functions performed by the cultural leaders which bring more than five people together are suspended
e) All cultural leaders are implored to enforce and participate in creating awareness on the directives given by The President and other Standard Operating Procedures provided by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
5) PERFORMING ARTS AND AUDIO VISUAL RECORDING STUDIOS
The Ministry extends its appreciation to all artists for the role they have played in sensitising the general public about COVID-19 through the composition of various songs and drama skits. Therefore, to ensure that safety is enhanced, the Ministry guides as follows;
i. All entertainment events crowding people such as Theatre shows, comedy, dance, music and music bands, seasonal events, traditional regatta and games, film production are suspended.
ii. Recording studios including those operating at home are not allowed to transect business with more than five people at a go.
iii. All recording studios must provide the hygiene requirements stipulated by Ministry of Health.
Lastly, All Artists/artistes must follow the Standard Operating Procedures provided by Government.
I want to thank you.
For God and My Country
KISS NEWS 