SUPPORTING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS AND FIGHTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

Women face a lot of challenges from the teenage age to adult especially those living in developing countries like Uganda. The major challenges to women are discrimination, Gender Roles, Reproductive and Maternal health, marriage and divorce, and violence.

Supporting women empowerment programs and fighting domestic violence is Love Uganda Foundation’s aim. Below are some of the challenges faced by women.

Discrimination of women

In Uganda, women have a lower social status than men. let’s say decision-making, acquiring education, and finding a lucrative job, women have fewer powers. In the past, women’s rights have been violated from time to time, including the right to own land and the right to marry. Although women make up nearly half of the labor force, they are paid far less than men. As a result, men wage war against women, but no one is calling for a ceasefire or imposing sanctions. Thus limiting women’s empowerment.

Marriage and divorce limit women empowerment.

Secondly, so many communities are still following the cultural norms and beliefs that disrespect women. Am not saying that we should not recognize our cultures but some laws no longer apply in the 21^st century. To begin with, so many women are forced into marriage as long as the partner can pay a bride price. In addition, parents still trade their children (girls) for just a simple small bird price making it open for domestic violence in marriage. At the time of divorce, a girl is supposed to return the bride price that was paid as she was entering the marriage. The parents will force the girl to stay there since they cannot return the price despite what she may be going through in the marriage.

When it comes to inheritance, a widow in some families will be forced to get married to a male relative (brother to the husband) so that his property will stay within his family. Many widows don’t have a say in the husband’s property.

Reproductive and maternal health

Thirdly, so many women are faced with barriers to maternal health and reproductive issues that affect their development. Menstruation greatly affects women’s educational opportunities due to a lack of supplies and sanitary facilities. Many stay home because of the unavailability of sanitary pads and end up missing school. Women become sexually active at a younger age due to coercion by a man or economic necessity. Thus, women have a great risk of HIV/AIDS infection.

According to reports, Uganda has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Uganda currently has a maternal mortality rate of 336 deaths per 100,000 live births. Better access to family planning could prevent 70% of maternity deaths. It is possible to receive antenatal and postnatal care from skilled health care professionals in the same way. Teenagers aged 10-19 years are most likely to become pregnant and have complications during pregnancy at a rate that is five times higher than that of adult women. Therefore, teenage mothers are more likely to experience other negative outcomes.

Gender Roles of women

Gender roles.

According to gender roles, women are responsible for domestic chores, including food production, cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, and fetching water. In some remote areas, water taps have not yet reached so they have to search for water in far places. Domestic responsibilities are time-consuming and often prevent girls from focusing on school work and excelling in school.

Love Uganda foundation saw the need to empower women on grounds of the realities of women and girls living in poverty and girl victims of HIV/AIDS, and child marriages. We empower women through our programs namely;

Capacity-building Program

Capacity-building refers to an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of an individual or business. In this case, we are talking about capacity building in women. Capacity building can be through training, mentorship, and raising public awareness. Love Uganda Foundation intends to promote the capacity of women under the program to develop, implement and sustain their solutions to problems. In a way that helps them shape and exercise control over their physical, social, economic, and cultural environments hence women empowerment.

Art and craft

Vocational skills and training

Love Uganda Foundation intends to provide knowledge and skills that can make the vulnerable women within our outreach areas self-sustainable. Vocational skills and training in arts and crafts, weaving, tailoring, and knowledge on better farming skills. Thus empowering women into women who can speak out.

Lastly, business mentoring

Under this program, Love Uganda Foundation mentors women in financial literacy, looking at budgeting, investment, and keeping self-reliant within the business.

All things considered, we as Love Uganda Foundation befit that with all that said and done women will be empowered and they will be financially independent. Including making decisions for themselves and raising their voices against violence thus women empowerment.

We ask you that in case you have any help you can give to us, we welcome it. It does not matter how big or small, help does not matter. Through donations of money or materials. Thank you.

We are LUF.