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By Timothy Eodu
Women leaders in Karamoja have called for stronger action against violence targeting women, girls and children, warning that lasting peace and development in the region cannot be achieved while families continue to experience abuse, hunger and economic hardship.
The concerns were raised during a women’s dialogue held alongside the Karamoja Cultural Event, where participants reflected on commitments made during last year’s dialogue and discussed the link between this year’s themes of peace, natural resources and tourism.
The dialogue, organized by the International Justice Mission (IJM) in partnership with development partners, brought together women representatives from the nine districts of Karamoja to assess commitments made during the previous cultural event, review progress and identify persistent challenges requiring action.
For many of the women, peace is not only about ending cattle raids and armed violence. They argued that peace must also be felt inside homes, schools, mining sites and communities where women and children continue to face rape, neglect, child labour, early marriage and other forms of violence.
Catharine Sagal, a Community Engagement Associate with International Justice Mission –IJM in Moroto, said women have made progress in addressing challenges such as female genital mutilation, early marriage and domestic violence through community dialogue and awareness campaigns.
She said women in Moroto were encouraged to become entrepreneurs and acquire income-generating skills, including making traditional Karimojong skirts, beadwork and other crafts. According to Sagal, economic empowerment has helped some women contribute to household needs and improved their position within their families.
However, she said violence remains a major obstacle to peace and development. Sagal noted that violence against women and children affects families’ ability to participate fully in economic activities, tourism and the management of natural resources.
“Peace cannot come when there is violence. A woman cannot actively look for food or resources when there is violence at home,” Sagal said.
She also raised concerns about challenges in the mining sector, including alcoholism and violence, which she said often affect women and children. Betty Moru, the Chairperson of the Karenga Women Peace Forum, said women had organised community dialogues in sub-counties to popularise previous commitments and discuss emerging challenges.
She said the women had also engaged communities on the protection of girls and the prevention of sexual violence. Moru, however, said the fight against rape should involve broader community responsibility, including parents, leaders and men.
On peacebuilding, she said women in Karenga had helped convince 15 Karachunas who were hiding in the bush to surrender. The former warriors were subsequently granted amnesty, a development she said contributed to calm in the community and the district.
In Amudat, Aleper Consolata said women and children continue to face serious challenges, including rape, child labour and violence. She particularly raised concerns about conditions at the Nawuot and Chepkararat mining sites, where miners reportedly lack adequate safety equipment.
She said the growing mining activity has also contributed to child neglect, with some parents spending long periods at mining sites and leaving children without adequate care.
“Most children are now engaging in petty theft of chickens and goats to survive,” she said, adding that girls are particularly vulnerable during the current hunger situation.
According to Aleper, some girls are forced into exploitative sexual relationships in exchange for money to meet their basic needs and support their families.
The women also linked food insecurity to growing pressure and violence within households. Rosemary Igira, the LC3 Chairperson for Kotido Central Division, called for a long-term solution to hunger in Karamoja, saying women bear the greatest burden when families do not have food.
She said women are often forced to move from place to place searching for food, and when families fail to find something to eat, tensions can escalate into domestic violence, affecting the wellbeing and livelihoods of women and children.
Igira also called for livelihood programmes that can provide sustainable alternatives to cattle raiding. She urged the government to look beyond emergency support such as iron sheets and invest more in income-generating opportunities for young people, particularly former Karachunas.
“People need alternatives that can bring them sustainable income,” she said, arguing that meaningful economic opportunities would help consolidate the peace in the region.
Another participant from Kotido, speaking as a representative of persons with disabilities, said women living with disabilities continue to be excluded from some government programmes despite being among the most vulnerable members of society.
Meanwhile, Longora Mary Goretty, Chairperson of Nadunget Women Survivors, said community sensitisation has contributed to a reduction in child marriages, although the practice has not been completely eliminated.
She said poverty remains one of the factors driving families to give girls into marriage in exchange for cattle, goats or money, calling for stronger community bylaws and continued advocacy. Longora also expressed concern that violence against women has increased amid the current hunger situation and difficult weather conditions affecting Karamoja.
“Women are the ones feeding their families, and because of hunger and food shortages, violence is now rising,” she said.
She called on the government to support women with income-generating opportunities, food assistance and skills to enable them to produce their own food. Longora particularly appealed for irrigation and small-scale agricultural initiatives that could help women grow vegetables, earn income and reduce dependence on food relief.
The women argued that addressing violence, hunger and poverty should be central to efforts aimed at sustaining peace and development in Karamoja. From Abim District, Grace Atidi, a GROW Project focal person, acknowledged government efforts aimed at economically empowering women but raised concerns about barriers facing vulnerable women seeking to access financing.
She said some of the requirements for accessing GROW funds do not favour the poorest and most vulnerable women in Karamoja. Atidi also raised concerns about land ownership, saying the existing land tenure system makes it difficult for many women to own land and use it as an economic asset.
She called for interventions that recognise the realities of vulnerable women in Karamoja, arguing that economic empowerment programmes should be designed in a way that does not exclude those who need support the most. Mining and its growing social consequences also featured prominently during the dialogue.
Florence Kinei, a youth advocate from Moroto, said the expansion of mining activities in the region is exposing young people, particularly girls, to child labour, alcohol abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. She also raised concerns about harmful cultural practices, including female genital mutilation, which she said continues to affect some girls within the Tepeth community and contributes to health risks and early marriages.
Kinei called on parents and community leaders to take greater responsibility for protecting children by openly discussing harmful practices and strengthening local measures, including by-laws, aimed at protecting girls. The message from women was also echoed beyond Uganda’s borders.
Zachary Chokon, an elderly woman from Turkana, said women play a critical role in maintaining peace and security, including in communities living along the Uganda-Kenya border. She argued that preventing violence at household level can help stop conflicts before they grow into wider community insecurity.
“When violence is addressed at the household level, it is less likely to spread into the wider community,” she said.
Chokon warned that unresolved violence can contribute to wider insecurity, including cattle raids that affect entire communities. She called for greater support for women, particularly through cross-border dialogues, saying women can play an important role in promoting peace, unity and socio-economic transformation.
Moroto Woman Member of Parliament Stella Atiang reminded mothers that they have an important responsibility in shaping the behaviour and future of their children. She urged women to deliberately educate both boys and girls about the dangers of teenage pregnancy and early marriage, saying prevention must begin within families.
The State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Esther Divina Anyakun, said the Karamoja Cultural Event was increasingly becoming a platform where women could raise issues affecting their lives and communities. Anyakun applauded development partners for supporting the women’s dialogue, saying cultural events should go beyond entertainment.
“Instead of only dancing and eating, women can use such platforms to engage in productive discussions that can change the way their communities live,” she said.
The minister tasked the women to develop a quarterly engagement plan that would enable them to regularly present their concerns and follow up on commitments. She said she would engage women in their respective districts and, where necessary, involve relevant government ministries and institutions to respond to issues raised.
