Acid Violence
Where it happens: Uganda
Uganda At a Glance
Population: 31.9 million (2008)
Capital city: Kampala
Religion: Christianity, with a sizeable Muslim minority
Official language(s): English. Swahili and Luganda are also widely spoken.
Location: East Africa, bordering Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Some Current Issues:
- The Lord’s Resistance Army remains active in the north. (The LRA’s goal is to rule the country along the lines of the Biblical Ten Commandments)
- In 2008, a ceasefire between the LRA and government forces was agreed.
- But Joseph Kony, the LRA’s leader, continues to refuse to sign permanent peace agreement.
- People displaced by the conflict stand at an estimated 2 million.
Economy
Average per capita income: $300 (2006)
Population below poverty line: 31% (2005-6)
Per thousand people, there are 136 mobile phone subscriptions (2007), 19 TV sets (2005) and 25 internet users (2007)
Main industry: agriculture (exports: coffee, tea, tobacco and flowers.)
Ranking on Perceived Corruption Index 2009: 130th (1st place: New Zealand; 180th place: Somalia)
Some Current Issues:
- While Uganda’s economy has enjoyed steady growth, it is especially vulnerable to the market price of coffee, its main exported good.
- Recently discovered oil reserves present the possibility of future economic growth.
- High levels of corruption have restricted ordinary people’s enjoyment of recent economic growth, while poor public services and inadequate infrastructure remain major national challenges, especially in the north.
Society
Life expectancy: 51 years (2006)
Rural population: 88% (2006)
Females in parliament (2010): 30%. A larger proportion than in the UK’s current parliament.
Primary school pupil per teacher ratio: 49:1 (2006)
Adult literacy: 83.6% (2006)
Some Current Issues:
- Women produce 70-80% of food crops, but only own 7% of land.
- 36% of all violence against women involves land grabbing – forced or illegal evictions, for example after the death of a husband.
- Domestic violence is commonplace. A recent report suggests that 70% of Ugandan women will experience it in their lifetime.
- Primary school enrolment is equal for boys and girls, but the drop out rate is high, at 50%.
- Inequitable wealth distribution and civil conflict has left the north decidedly worse off than the rest of the country. Northern communities are twice as poor as the national average.
Our partner in Uganda is ASF-Uganda.
Outside Masaka Hospital, Uganda
Acid Violence and ASF Uganda
In a country where both men and women already face challenges in their day to day lives, acid violence can be devastating. Expensive and lengthy medical treatments, loss of employment and the break-up of families following an attack all have a massive impact on survivors’ mental and physical well-being.
ASF Uganda is based in Kampala, and works nationwide in several key areas to support survivors and prevent acid violence:
Rebuilding Lives:
Medical Support
- procuring drugs and medical treatment for survivors
- providing transport to medical appointments
Legal Support
- lobbying for laws to restrict the sale and distribution of acid
- advocating tougher penalties for perpetrators
- providing a legal aid clinic to support survivors in their access to justice
Psychosocial Support
- providing skills and employment for survivors in a mutually supportive environment.
- facilitating survivors’ reintegration into communities through peer counselling and sensitization meetings.
Raising Awareness
- conducting radio and TV interviews, as well as poster campaigns, to encourage people to report incidents of acid violence, and increase community awareness of the phenomenon.
Primary Sources:
Foreign Commonwealth Office. http://www.fco.gov.uk
Commonwealth Secretariat. http://www.thecommonwealth.org
The Department for International Development http://www.dfid.gov.uk
Secondary Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk
http://www.actionaid.org
http://www.unifem.org
http://www.transparencyinternational.org
