GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND WOMEN’S

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN NYAKAYOJO

SUB-COUNTY, MBARARA DISTRICT IN UGANDA

A RESEARCH DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A BACHELORS

DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

BY

JUSTUS ASASIRA

B.DS (Hons), Started doing a Masters of Arts in 2014 at

Mbarara University of Science & Technology

JUNE 2013
Declaration

I Justus Asasira hereby declare that this research dissertation is entirely my original and has
never been submitted to any university or institution for the same award.

Justus Asasira

i
Approval

This research study has been conducted and dissertation written under my supervision and is now
ready for submission with my approval.

Ms. Primrose Nakazibwe

ii
Dedication

I dedicate this dissertation to my beloved dad Mr. Filius Rugogamu who squeezed all his little
resources he had to fund my education to this level. His abundance guidance and love towards
me and my entire life was good and encouraging to me.

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Acknowledgement
Acknowledgements are due those who through their generous contribution made it possible for
me to succeed in my studies. Special thanks to my supervisor Ms. Primrose Nakazibwe for all
effort she put in guiding me to produce this report. I will always be grateful and say thank you.

I am grateful to my aunts; Kiconco, Trifonia, Naume, Geraldine, my uncles; Elvis, Pastori,

Ubaldo, Africano, Otto, Gabito, and Alex for their moral and financial support they exhibited
towards my studies. Your support was encouraging and to reach all this way it was your endless
favors and great love you had for me.

To my friends especially, Dianna, who most of the time helped me in financial crisis, I cannot
forget to pay tribute to you. Again, I cannot hesitate to appreciate the efforts of my discussion
group members; Kenneth, Samson, Ronald, Petra and others, friends; Herbert, Immaculate,
Paulo, and Edmund, brothers; Felix, Afex for they were never jealousy for my success, or in
another way they were encouraging, supporting me never to give up and sometimes financially
supported me. All your morale and financial support was not in vain.

My special thanks to the family of my late grandfather Elias Kabweijana for the financial, care
and life training support, for upbringing me and funding my initial levels of education. I remain
grateful for your support although you didn’t live to enjoy the sweetness of my fruit.

Gratitude thanks to my respondents for their willingness and tremendous responses. It was great
joy interacting with you and sharing problems that were important for development of our
families. You were a good team, dedicated and knowledgeable that your responses helped me
accomplish this study. May God reward you all abundantly for your tireless efforts.

Above all the Almighty God for the wisdom, guidance, protection and his endless love and
favors or me throughout my studies.

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 Table of Content

Declaration...................................................................................................................................................i
Approval......................................................................................................................................................ii
Dedication...................................................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgement......................................................................................................................................iv
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................ix
CHAPTER ONE..........................................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background to the Study.......................................................................................................................1
1.2 Problem Statement.................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Objectives of the Study..........................................................................................................................6
1.3.1 General Objective...............................................................................................................................6
1.3.2 Specific Objectives.............................................................................................................................6
1.4 Hypothesis.............................................................................................................................................6
1.5 Significance of the study.......................................................................................................................7
1.5. Area of the study..................................................................................................................................7
1.6 Literature review...................................................................................................................................9
1.6.1 Prevalence of Gender Based Violence................................................................................................9
1.6.2 Manifestations or Forms of Gender-Based Violence........................................................................10
1.6.3 Causes of Gender Based Violence....................................................................................................11
1.7 Research Methods...............................................................................................................................17
1.7.1 Research design................................................................................................................................17
1.7.2 Study population and Sample size....................................................................................................17
1.7.3 Sampling procedure..........................................................................................................................18
1.7.4 Methods of data collection................................................................................................................18
1.7.4.1 Primary data...................................................................................................................................18
1.7.4.2 Secondary data...............................................................................................................................19
1.7.5 Tools of data collection....................................................................................................................19
1.8 Data analysis........................................................................................................................................20
1.9 Study limitations..................................................................................................................................20
2.0 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS...........................................21

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 2.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................21
2.2 Biographic Characteristics of Respondents.........................................................................................21
2.2.1 Gender Composition of Respondents...............................................................................................21
2.2.2 Marital status of the respondents......................................................................................................21
2.2.2 Age of the respondents.....................................................................................................................22
2.2.3 Level of Education............................................................................................................................22
2.2.4 Occupation of the Respondents........................................................................................................22
2.3 Types of Economic Activities Women Perform..................................................................................24
2.3.2 Service Delivery...............................................................................................................................24
2.3.3 Business Activities...........................................................................................................................24
2.3.4 Craft Industry...................................................................................................................................25
2.4 Benefits of Women’s Activities to the family......................................................................................25
2.4.1 Income Generation...........................................................................................................................25
2.4.2 Food Security...................................................................................................................................26
2.4.3 Education of Children.......................................................................................................................26
2.4.4 Settling Debts...................................................................................................................................26
2.4.5 Improved Standards of Living..........................................................................................................26
2.4.6 Taking Care of Children...................................................................................................................27
2.4.7 Self-Sustaining.................................................................................................................................27
2.4.8 Family Fame.....................................................................................................................................27
2.4.9 Saving for Future Use.......................................................................................................................28
2.5 Male Contribution to Women’s Economic Empowerment..................................................................28
2.5.1 Good Relations.................................................................................................................................28
2.5.2 Meeting Women’s Transport Costs..................................................................................................29
2.5.3 Providing Advice and Financial Support..........................................................................................29
2.5.4 Education of women and girl child...................................................................................................30
2.5.5 Granting Permission to Participate in Economic Activities..............................................................30
2.5.6 Working Together and Having Joint Accounts.................................................................................30
2.5.7 Providing Manual labor and Inputs...................................................................................................31
2.6 Requirements to Joining Women’s Economic Empowerment Groups................................................31
2.7 Benefits of Women Groups to their Empowerment.............................................................................31
2.7.1 Acquiring loans................................................................................................................................32

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2.7.2 Saving their earnings........................................................................................................................32
2.7.3 Working together..............................................................................................................................32
2.7.4 Sharing Profits and Dividends..........................................................................................................32
2.7.5 Gaining Skills and Confidence.........................................................................................................33
2.7.6 Other Benefits...................................................................................................................................33
2.8 Prevalence of GBV and Reporting......................................................................................................33
2.9 Forms of GBV in Nyakayojo Sub-County...........................................................................................34
2.9.1 Economic Violence...........................................................................................................................34
2.9.2 Physical Intimate Partner Violence...................................................................................................34
2.9.3 Sexual Violence................................................................................................................................34
2.9.4 Psychological Violence....................................................................................................................35
2.9.5 Child Marriage..................................................................................................................................35
2.10.1 Poverty and property ownership.....................................................................................................35
2.10.2 Alcohol and Drug Abuse................................................................................................................36
2.10.3 Polygamous Relationships..............................................................................................................36
2.10.4 Mistrust among Couples.................................................................................................................37
2.10.5 Rumors...........................................................................................................................................38
2.10.6 Lack of Exemplary Leaders............................................................................................................38
2.10.7 Associating with bad groups...........................................................................................................38
2.10.8 Others.............................................................................................................................................39
2.11 Effects of GBV on Women Economic Empowerment.......................................................................39
2.11.1 Effects on Agricultural Production.................................................................................................39
2.11.2 Job Insecurity and Family Instability..............................................................................................39
2.11.3 Costly to Treat the Victims.............................................................................................................39
2.11.4 Neglect of Responsibilities.............................................................................................................40
2.11.5 Effect Women’s Decision Making..................................................................................................40
2.11.6 Adoption Polygamous Relationships..............................................................................................40
2.11.7 Increasing spread of HIV/AIDS......................................................................................................41
2.11.8 Divisionism among partners...........................................................................................................41
2.11.9 Retarding education among children..............................................................................................41
2.11.10 Divorce and separation.................................................................................................................41
2.11.11 Discouraging investment..............................................................................................................42

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2.12 Measures to curb down GBV.............................................................................................................42
2.12.1 Sensitization...................................................................................................................................42
2.12.2 Strengthening Institution.................................................................................................................42
2.12.3 Role of Government Agencies........................................................................................................43
2.12.4 Education........................................................................................................................................43
2.12.5 Workshops and role of church........................................................................................................44
2.12.6 Starting up self-help projects..........................................................................................................44
2.12.7 Encouraging Monogamous Relationships.......................................................................................44
2.12.8 Media..............................................................................................................................................44
2.12.9 Creating Fear on Perpetuators.........................................................................................................45
2.12.10 Response units for reporting GBV cases.......................................................................................45
2.13 Challenges Associated with Measures to Mitigate GBV...................................................................45
2.13.1 Corruption......................................................................................................................................45
2.13.2 Reluctance on reporting..................................................................................................................46
2.13.3 Unimplemented policies.................................................................................................................47
2.13.4 Culture............................................................................................................................................47
2.13.5 Limited Sensitization and Ignorance...............................................................................................47
2.13.6 Limited monitoring of individual behavior.....................................................................................48
3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................49
3.1 CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................................49
3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................................50
3.3 Further areas for research....................................................................................................................50
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................51
APPENDIX I: Questionnaire for women...................................................................................................54
APENDIX II: Questionnaire for men........................................................................................................56
APENDIX III: Interview guide for NGOs and local leaders......................................................................58
APENDIX III: interview guide for Religious leaders................................................................................59
APENDIX IV: Focus Group Discussion Guide.........................................................................................60
List of abbreviations
CDO Community Development Officer

FGC Female Genital Cutting

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FMG Female Genital Mutilation

GBV Gender-Based Violence

HIV Human Immune Virus

ICRW International Centre for Research on Women

LC Local Council

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

NAADS National Agricultural Advisory Services

NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations

SACCOs Savings and Credit Co-operatives

SGBV Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

TDHS Tanzania Demographic Health Survey

UDHS Uganda Demographic HEALTH Survey

UKDID United Kingdom Department For International Development

UN United Nations

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNFPA United Nations Population Agency

UNICEF United Nations International Children Education Fund

USAID World Food Program

WHO World Health Organization

Abstract
The study on “Gender-Based Violence and Women’s Economic Empowerment” was carried out
in Nyakayojo sub-county Mbarara District. The overall objective of the study was to establish
whether women’s economic empowerment was the cause of GBV in the area. The study was

ix
conducted in the six parishes of the sub-county with a total of 50 respondents who were drawn
from the entire sub-county. Data was collected by interviewing respondents; household heads,
LC leaders, NGOs and church, and conducting FGDs with local communities. Simple random
sampling was used to select respondents from the sub-county, extracting same number of
respondents from every parish of the sub-county. Data were analyzed manually and tallying
responses, interpreted using mainly statistical tools; frequencies, percentages explaining the
phenomenon according to the responses of the respondents.

Findings indicate the majority of the respondents were women who were involved in various
activities which included agriculture and other activities like operating retail shops, pottery,
knitting, weaving baskets, mats and bags. Main crops grown in the area included bananas and
beans. Families in the area were experiencing GBV and most prominent and financially stable
families were prone to this kind of violence. The argument behind this was the economic
empowerment of women who wanted to own and control their own finances, have freedom to do
all they deemed good to them much as this would contravene their relations with their husbands
and the entire family. Violence of this kind included SGBV, property or economic violence,
physical violence, and psychological violence. It was evident that this violence impacted
negatively on women to attain economic empowerment to the extent of even causing disabilities,
living independent life that was expensive and led to reduced incomes of women. Government’s
response to GBV was also critically assessed as well as mitigating the problem on the
community level. Setbacks were also explored to reinstate the situation.

The study thus recommended that there is need to make comprehensive policies and incorporate
couples to the formulation of policies since they affect both partners. There is also a need to
strengthen institutions and empower women and ensure security of the victims after solving
these cases so that violence doesn’t re-occur.

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
Gender Based Violence (GBV) is an umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against
a person’s will and based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between males and females
(IASC, 2005). It refers to any act of violence that results in or is likely to result in physical,
sexual, or psychological suffering to women including threats of coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life (United Nations Declaration,
1993). It is a form of violence that is directed to an individual based on her or his gender role in
society intended to reinforce gender hierarchies perpetuating gender inequality. It therefore
affects both men and women although women and girls are affected disproportionately (Judy, et
al, 2004).Gender-based violence is increasingly a term that connects all acts of violence rooted in
some form of patriarchal ideology (Brownridge, 2002).

Jeanne (2006) looked at gender based violence as any harm that is perpetrated against a person’s
will that results in a negative impact on the physical or psychological health, development,
identity of a person that is as a result of gender power inequalities that exploit the differences
between males and females. It has become internationally recognized as a denial of human rights
to women since they are the mostly affected (UNFPA, 2005). Globally family break ups are on
increase since wives can hardly contain the manifestations of GBV. This has compromised
family relations both on rural and urban households (Subramanian, 2000). 

Gender based violence encompasses a range of acts of violence committed against females
because they are females and against males because they are males, based on how a particular
society assigns and views roles and expectations for these people. It includes sexual violence,
intimate partner or spouse abuse (domestic violence), emotional and psychological abuse, sex
trafficking, forced prostitution, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, harmful traditional
practices for example female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, infanticide of girl
children and discriminatory practices based on gender (Beth Vann, 2002). However, GBV may
take other forms such verbal abuse, deprivation, physical abuse, drinking and gambling by men,
polygamy, promiscuous behavior and casual sex, property grabbing, dowry and bride price,
divorce and desertion, teenage pregnancy, and abusive in-laws. (Narayan et al, 2000).

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It involves both men and women, in which women are usually the victims, and which is derived
from unequal power relations between them. This form of violence is directed specifically
against women because they are women and they are affected disproportionately compared to
men (UNFPA, 2003). Gender-based violence is evident in public and private spheres, including:
home, school and work, and takes place during peacetime and conflict. It includes violence that
is perpetuated or condoned by the state (Levy, 2008). It is both a human rights and a
development issue, with negative consequences to both women and men in terms of development
(U.S. Agency for International Development, 2007).

The youth are generally in most cases vulnerable to crime and violence from people they know
more especially the family members and neighbors (Christine, 2005). The groups most
vulnerable to GBV include; girls aged between 13 and 17 are most frequently reported as
survivors of SGBV, followed by women aged from 19 to 36, then younger children aged from 4
to 9. Girls are found to be most vulnerable to STIs, mental, emotional and health illnesses
(Christine, 2005).The 2003 UNFPA Report revealed 50% of all sexual assaults world are against
girls of 15 years or younger. While a multi-study established that between 15% and 17% of
women reported physical or sexual violence by a husband or an intimate partner, between 4%
and 12% of women reported being abused during pregnancy and one in five women compared to
one in ten men reported sexual abuse as children (WHO, 2003).

In Africa GBV cannot be understood outside norms and cultural values. As young boys are
socialized according to established norms and are expected to adopt and operate within these
beliefs, they even cope from what they see at their homes and are acquainted to the system
(Uthman, et al, 2009). This has increased HIV/AID in Africa, 60% of HIV living population is
women and girls and 59.6% of adult women are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
(UNAIDS report, 2009). However, data on gender-based violence is hard to come by as violence
is in most cases under reported because of shame, stigma and fear of it spreading further. Women
therefore remain silent because many societies take violence against women as an accepted and
normal aspect of gender relations (www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/english/ch7/).   

 In Uganda (GBV) has reached its highest peak leaving families in a compromising states of
poverty more especially women being the victims of the circumstance. Poverty levels in families
are so high, with women ranked the poorest compared to their counterpart men (World Bank
Report, 2007). A recent study in Uganda reported that more than 80% of women surveyed

2
respectively had experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence at some point in their
marriage/intimate relationship (ICRW, 2009). According to UNFPA report 2004, 40% of women
had heard about or had witnessed the rape of a minor. Yet, one in three women in rural areas of
Uganda are subject to verbal or physical threats from partners, while 50% of these women have
been threatened and subsequently receive injuries (UNICEF, 2009). Beating a female partner
was viewed as justifiable in certain circumstances by 70% by their counterpart males, and 90%
justified by women in rural areas of Uganda (WHO, 2005).

 Economic empowerment is the capacity of women and men to participate in, contribute to and
benefit from growth processes in ways which recognize the value of their contributions, respect
their dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth  
(Eyben et al, 2008). Economic empowerment increases women’s access to economic resources
and opportunities including jobs, financial services, property and other productive assets, skills
development and market information. Women’s economic participation and empowerment are
fundamental to strengthening women’s rights and enabling women to have control over their
lives and exert influence in society (Sweden, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2010). It is about
creating just and equitable societies. Women often face discrimination and persistent gender
inequalities, with some women experiencing multiple discrimination and exclusion because of
factors such as ethnicity or caste. 

Higher female earnings and bargaining power translate into greater investment in children’s
education, health and nutrition, which leads to economic growth in the long-term (Colclough, et
al, 2000). Worldwide, the share of women in waged and salaried work grew from 42% in 1997 to
46% in 2007 (Leach et al, 2007). Total agricultural outputs in Africa increased by up to 20%
after women’s gaining of access to agricultural inputs was equal to men’s.  Women-owned
businesses comprise up to 38% of all registered small businesses worldwide (USAID, 2007). The
number of women-owned businesses in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America is
growing rapidly and, with that growth, come direct impacts on job creation and poverty
reduction (United Kingdom Department for International Development, 2010).

To achieve women’s economic empowerment, rigid traditions and culture must be eroded as they
deter women from accessing control over most productive resources, education and training of
women to enable them attain knowledge, skill, and self-confidence to express their concerns,
sharing the unpaid care that they provide to the household between partners, and ensuring

3
reproductive and sexual health; availing reproductive information and services, reduced rate of
early marriages, giving them a chance to finish education breaking out of poverty (Irish Aid,
2010).

The economic empowerment of women is a prerequisite for sustainable development, pro-poor

growth and the triumph of all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Gender equality and
empowered women are spurs for proliferating development efforts. Investments in gender
equality yield the highest returns of all development investments. Women usually invest a higher
proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. A study in Brazil
showed that the likelihood of a child’s survival increased by 20% when the mother controlled
household income (World Bank President Zoellick’s speech at the MDG3 conference,
Copenhagen, 25 March, 2010). Former President Bill Clinton while addressing the annual
meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative September, 2009 “Women perform 66% of the world’s
work, and produce 50% of the food, yet earn only 10% of the income and own 1% of the
property. Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global
climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a
critical part of the equation”. Increasing the role of women in the economy is part of the solution
to the financial and economic crises and critical for economic flexibility and growth. However, at
the same time, this necessitates being mindful that women are in some contexts bearing the costs
of recovering from the crisis, with the loss of jobs, poor working conditions and increasing
unevenness (Kabeer, 2010). 

Gender Based Violence hampers productivity, reduces human capital and undermines economic
growth. Exposure to GBV exacerbates the problem of women’s poverty and that poverty, in turn,
makes women more vulnerable to GBV. Women’s lack of economic empowerment is evident in
lack of access to and control over resources such as land, personal property, wages, and credit
(Population Council, 2008). This has made poverty persistent in rural families creating a trend of
what is referred to as chronic poverty. Chronic poverty is poverty that cuts across individuals and
households in severe and multi-dimensional context for several years and is often spreads across
generations. According to the Uganda chronic poverty report (2005), close to 26% of the nation’s
household live in chronic poverty, this poverty has been passed onto their children as their
grandparents lived in the same phenomena.  

4
Therefore, the proposed study was aimed at finding out the relationship between poverty levels
among women and gender based violence in rural areas; causes of gender-based violence were
assessed critically, measures to reduce the effects and causes were also suggested in order to
reduce poverty in rural households and income inequality between the two genders. 

1.2 Problem Statement

Women contribute a greater percentage towards the GDP of Uganda which necessitates a
vigorous action on the challenges that they face in their pursuit of development (Uganda Bureau
of Statistics, 2008). Women’s economic empowerment is important as it the basis of all
development actions because women have a greater influence on their husband’s choices to plan,
reduces dependency burden if they can support themselves and even contribute to positively
towards social development especially when they are economically empowered (UNHS, 2003).
The basic needs of the household are guaranteed in case women are self-sustaining since they are
always at the apex of addressing whatever is required in a home. Government programs like
NAADS, support of get-together women groups, decentralization, etc. have greatly valued and
fought for the economic empowerment of women (World Bank Development Report, 2008). The
government has ensured the setting of up of the structures that help in handling GBV
perpetrators like the police, security organizations, and some other NGOs have also shown their
participation on addressing the matter (FAO, 2008).

However, the government is unable to achieve its dream of achieving gender equality, reducing
maternal and infant mortality rates, eradication of poverty and hunger and combating HIV/AIDS
due to gender based violence. Gender based violence has had a continued/ persistent trend in all
areas all over the country. Despite government efforts to initiate GBV prevention and response
strategy to curb it down, emphasis has been limited to war tone areas in the north neglecting
other regions (Ministry of Gender Labor Social and Development, 2009). GBV is still prevalent
in Ugandan communities cutting across class, race, age, religion and even national boundaries.
GBV is sounding in both health and social programming to the extent that the survivors of
gender based violence experience the worst moments of morbidity and mortality in Uganda
(USAID, 2006). High rates of 40-50% GBV are experienced by women within their homes, 48%
of married women of age 15-49 experience physical violence from their intimate partners and
50% of these are women (Uganda Demographic Health Survey, 2006). The rates of GBV are
very high in rural areas compared to urban areas due to low education levels which later results
5
to low income among women making them economically disempowered (Kabeer,
2010). Poverty levels have gradually increased as women manifesting this kind of violence can
hardly contribute and get engaged in income generating activities. GBV reduces their capacity to
continuously practice their agricultural activities due to injuries, and psychological torture
inflicted on them in the course of violence, as agriculture is the predominant source of their
livelihood.  

This called for the conduct of the study on gender based violence to established the impact of
GBV on women’s economic empowerment by exploring the causes and common forms of GBV,
various activities and their contribution which women have resorted to in order to empower
themselves, effects of GBV on women’s economic empowerment and again assessed what has
been done to address GBV and found out the reasons for its continued occurrence in rural in
Nyakayojo sub-county.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.3.1 General Objective
The major aim of the study was to assess the impact of gender-based violence on women’s
economic empowerment. 

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1) To examine the causes and common forms of gender based violence in rural households.
2) To examine the economic activities women are involved in Nyakayojo sub-county.
3) To establish the ways in which these economic activities have empowered women
economically.
4) To examine the effects of gender based violence on women’s economic empowerment.
5) To assess what has been done to redress gender-based violence in families and to
establish the reasons for its continued occurrence in families.

1.4 Hypothesis
Women’s economic disempowerment has led to increased prevalence of Gender Based Violence.

6
1.5 Significance of the study
 The study became an eye opener to upcoming researchers who may need to explore the
same problem.
 The study helped the researcher to harness the research methodology skills that have been
acquired in class.

1.5. Area of the study

The study was conducted in Nyakayojo sub-county in Mbarara district. Nyakayojo sub-county is
among the sub counties making up Rwampala county and its boarders Bugamba and Rugando
sub-counties, Nyamitanga division, and part of Kashari County. Nyakayojo sub-county is
comprised of six parishes of Nyarubungo, Rwakishakizi, Rikindo, Kicwamba, Katojo, and
Bugashe (National voters register, 2011). The area is crossed by one major route connecting
Mbarara-Kabale. 

Most of the parts of the sub-county are sparsely populated with the exception of upcoming urban
areas. Nyakayojo sub-county is found in Rwampara County in the south western part of Mbarara
district. The sub-county lies in Montane agro-ecological zone and is in a predominantly banana
farming system although livestock farming is an important component of the system. Other crops
grown in the sub-county include maize, millet, beans and potatoes. Outputs from the banana
farming system include fresh bananas, bananas for ripening, and bananas for making juice,
alcohol and a spirit called waragi (Kamanyire, 2000). Other products from banana stems and
leaves include manure, ropes, residues for mulch, cattle feed, dry leaves for house thatching,
mats and fresh leaves for various domestic uses.

7
A MAP OF MBARARA DISTRICT SHOWING SUB-COUNTIES

8
1.6 Literature review
This part provides an explanation on the causes of gender based violence, its impact on women’s
economic empowerment; the challenges faced while addressing gender based violence as well as
the measures put in place to address it.

1.6.1 Prevalence of Gender Based Violence

Given its range and magnitude, GBV is a form of human rights abuse that has few rivals. There
is abundant evidence that GBV is endemic to communities around the world, affecting people of
every class, race, age, religion, and national boundary, although to varying degrees and in
different ways. While systematic data is not available in all countries, the available data found
that between 15–71% of women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an
intimate partner at some point in their lives (WHO, 2011). 

Gender base violence spans the lifecycle and begins early as children evidence the violent acts
between their parents, some of the children copy from them, while others become victims in
form of beating, sexual harassment by their parents and relatives. Nearly one third of adolescent
girls’ worldwide report that their first sexual experience was forced and almost half of all sexual
assaults are against girls 15 years or age of younger (UNICEF, 2009).  

Socialized into the gender roles of their specific cultures, women and girls often hold beliefs that
support their oppression through GBV. Approximately 40% of women across the 10 developing
countries said they would have sex if their partner refused to use a condom, and a similar
proportion did not think women have the right to refuse sex with their partner (CIET, 2007).
More than 80% of women in Ethiopia believe their husbands have the right to beat them in
whatever situation the husband deems it necessary to beat the woman (Womankind Worldwide,
2011).

Globally, rates of GBV are highest in developing countries, with some of the most extreme rates
in African countries. Worldwide, approximately 100 to 140 million girls and women have
experienced female genital mutilation/cutting, with more than 3 million girls in Africa annually
at risk (UN Women, 2011). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 14.1 million girls are child brides, married
before the age of 18 (UN Women, 2011).  

A survey that was conducted across eight countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) found out that 18% of women aged 16-60 years
9
had experienced intimate partner violence in the past 12 months; one in every five youths aged
12-17 years said they had been forced or coerced to have sex, and one in 10 said they had forced
sex on someone else (CIET, 2007).  

Although systematic data is not available in all African countries, the United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) maintains a current inventory
of systematically collected data on violence against women (UN Women, 2011).  

1.6.2 Manifestations or Forms of Gender-Based Violence

This sub-section presents the different forms in which different writers have argued that this is
evident enough to say that there is GBV in case this situation is evidenced in the society. GBV
can therefore be in form below presented phenomena.

As evidenced by the prevalence data that has been presented in different reviews, there exists
wide variation in the experience of GBV across the regions of Africa (USAID Report on GBV,
2006). This diversity of experience not only exists in terms of prevalence, but also in the specific
types of GBV engendered by particular social and community contexts (ICRW, 2009). A few
manifestations of GBV and risk factors beyond those identified;  

Studies have found out that physical intimate partner abuse sometimes referred to as wife battery
is the most common form of gender violence committed not only in Africa but worldwide (UN
Women, 2011; Green, 1999). The marriage rite of bride price, commonly practiced in many
African and other countries, has been identified as contributing factor to this behavior because it
encourages women to be viewed as property, helping to justify violence against them, reducing
women’s decision-making abilities in the household, limiting women’s independence, and
perpetuating unequal gender relations (Green, 1999; Kaye et al., 2005; Hague et al., 2011).  

A number of factors make rape a particularly acute problem and a form of violence in regions of
Africa, including but not limited to the virgin cleansing myth that having sex with a virgin will
restore to health a man of AIDS (Freeman, 2004), prevalence of sexual violence in schools
(Wilson, 2008), corrective rape wielded against lesbians, beliefs that forcing sex on a woman is
not wrong, and the use of rape as a political weapon (Middleton, 2011).

Female genital mutilation (FGM) typically carried out by traditional circumcisers involves
partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. FGM has no

10
medical benefit whatsoever and harms girls and women in both immediate and long-term ways.
It is in most cases done without the consent of the victim, as it stems from traditional set up of a
given society. The causes of female genital mutilation include a mix of cultural, religious and
social factors within families and communities (WHO, 2012).

Child marriage and forced marriage is widely recognized as a violation of human rights. Forced
marriage and child marriage deprive young girls of their rights to health, education,
development, and equality (UN women, 2011). Since these decisions are made without notifying
the child, it is viewed as a great violation of children’s rights. This is however common in girls
compared to their counterpart. Contributing social and community factors include tradition and
customary law, religion, poverty, bride price, and notions of morality and family honor
associated with a girl’s virginity (UNICEF, 2005).  

Property grabbing has also been regarded as a form of GBV, whereby an individual, often upon
the death of the woman’s husband, is forcibly evicted from her home by family members,
neighbors, or traditional leaders and is often unable to take her possessions with her,
disproportionately affects women. Occurring in areas of Southern and East Africa, the practice
increases women’s poverty and is often accompanied by other acts of extreme GBV. Women’s
weak inheritance and property rights, customary laws and practices, and high rates of HIV/AIDS
mortality contribute to this form of GBV (Izumi, 2007).

 1.6.3 Causes of Gender Based Violence

Understanding the clear relationship between GBV and women’s economic empowerment,
individual-level risk factors for intimate partner and sexual violence are personal characteristics,
but they can also occur within families, communities, and the larger society. Many of these
factors are associated with both perpetrators and victims of violence, but some are specific to one
or the other (WHO, 2011).GBV is sometimes regarded or caused by a myth; that a woman’s
dress and behavior can cause rape.  This myth according to Saran places the blame for rape on a
woman and views men as unable to control themselves. A woman in this case is known as a
party animal or a tease and wears provocative clothing; she is asking for attention, flattery, or
just trying to fit in. She is not asking to be raped, but men tend to exhaust such myth
opportunities resulting into sexual and GBV (Saran 1999).Alcohol consumption levels more
especially among men perpetrators are also responsible for high rates of GBV in most societies
of the world (UN Women, 2011). 
11
The degree to which GBV is taken to be socially acceptable by both perpetrators and the victims
has also resulted into high rates of GBV. The actors of GBV and the victims consensually agree
that in most cases GBV is as a result of unusual behaviors that the victims always pose to their
perpetrators (UNICEF, 2005).“Regardless of related variations, the causes of gender violence are
comparable, originating in structural gender inequalities in assorted social arenas”. For example
in schools they are rooted in the formal and informal processes of schooling, which serve to
establish the gendered norms of behavior in what is commonly termed a ‘gender
regime’ (Connell, 2002).

The relationship level of the ecological model explores how close relationships such as those
between peers, family members, and intimate partners increase the risk for perpetrating or
experiencing GBV. This is a clear indicator that GBV is learned through social interactions and
the social structures constructed by the society based on gender differentials Proximal
relationships typically involve repeated interactions on a daily or frequent basis, giving peers,
intimate partners, and family members the ability to shape an individual’s behavior and
experiences (Krug et al., 2002).  At the broadest levels, communities and the larger society have
characteristics that exert a greater deal of influence over the behavior of those who live in them.
Community and social factors have been presented together as the major attributes for the ever
increasing rates of gender based violence, although it is important to recognize that multiple
communities within the same country or society can present matchless combinations of risk
factors and, therefore different rates of GBV (Wilson, 2008).

GBV has been attributed to girls’ inability to access formal education which has often been
ascribed to poverty and/or culture (Colclough, Rose and Tembon, 2000) and the girls themselves
have generally been constructed as victims. “It is unsurprising, therefore, that studies of gender
violence in schools in developing countries have used similar binary gender categories to
position female students and to a lesser extent teachers as the victims of physical or sexual
violence perpetrated by male teachers or students”. This finally makes females find themselves
in less paying job as a result of discrimination in the education attainment process (Leach and
Machakanja, 2000).Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa show that these informal processes include
allocating higher status public tasks to boys and more domestic private tasks to girls for example
male students ringing the school bell for assembly, girls cleaning the classroom floors, allowing
boys to generally dominate the physical and verbal space in class, and tolerating sexual
harassment (Dunne et al., 2005) although in practice there is likely to be more nuanced gender
12
differentiation. Authoritarian teaching practices, competitive assessment procedures and
narrowly focused curricula often exclude particular groups of learners. In most cases students
from minority ethnic groups can feel marginalized when their cultures are omitted from, or
undermined by, curriculum materials. These are all processes which sustain inequalities and in so
doing promote the conditions for gender violence (Leach et al., 2003).

Whereas UN Says “No” to Violence against Women’ suggest movement toward a more

egalitarian society (Citizen, 2008), they are discordant with the patriarchal nature of customary
and religious practices that promote female submission (Rutazaa, 2005). Data from the study
conducted in Tanzania on GBV revealed that 42 percent of men and 60 percent of women
validated wife beating as an appropriate and typical aspect of society (Tanzania Demographic
Health Survey TDHS, 2004). In a 2005 study by the World Health Organization in Dar-es-
Salaam and Mbeya, found out that 41 percent of ‘ever-partnered’ women reported experiencing
physical or sexual abuse by a partner at some point in their lifetime (Ministry of Planning,
Economy, and empowerment 2006).High frequency of GBV in most societies can be best
understood through the social learning theory, which posits that behavior is learned by observing
and re-enacting the behavior of others, especially role models. Just as gender roles and social
norms are learned within a larger cultural context and passed from one generation to the next, too
is behavior (Uthman, Lawoko, and Moradi 2009). Young boys are socialized according to
established norms and are expected to adopt and operate within these beliefs. This pressure,
while subtle, infiltrates every aspect of the social environment as boys are taught at home, in
school, and in the community that their primary responsibility will be to marry and support a
family (Dunne, 2005). “An inability to provide financially likely causes feelings of inferiority
and consequently threatens one’s masculine identity”. One compensatory response is to assert
power in other ways, often through physical and sexual aggression (Mzinga, 2002).  

The Psychiatric Association in Kenya conducted a study on reasons for the rise in gender-based
violence one of the causes is the space people live in. The more crowded people are the more
domestic violent they are likely to be (Njenga 1999). “Behaviors learnt from a larger group or
society at times may differ from smaller societies and those who adopt either of the behavior are
likely to be violent as they change to join another society.” The study also ascertained that
associated with financial insecurity poverty also determines the rate of GBV that is; if a man
cannot establish his authority intellectually or economically, he would tend to do so physically

13
and sometimes sexually where and how a person lives, is also one of the contributing factors to
the rising cases of GBV (Njenga, 1999). 

Control over productive resources in families pose a threat to family resulting onto GBV and
men have always toiled to have full control of these resources. When women tend to claim
ownership, men use authoritative power to turn them down and the only way is the practice of
GBV. Among families, men tend to have and own all productive resources that their command
must not be refuted (UPHOLD, 2006).Again, HIV/AIDS among partners in family has
perpetuated GBV in a situation where on partner starts blaming the other for such diseases.
Violence pick a stem then grows on, later on transferred to generations and their siblings
spreading further to the entire community (International Centre for Research on Women, 2009). 

Power relationships and discriminatory cultural norms have also led to gender base violence.
Due to standing cultural norms, which hold that men are more powerful than women in most of
the societies, any kind of violence is aimed at maintaining their superiority. Power also assert
that powerful positions are reserved for men, that women should not bother making themselves
supreme and any kind of such effort by women is silenced easily by GBV (Uthman, Lawoko,
and Moradi 2009).“This can be linked with the image created by the society which portrays a
man to be viewed as being strong, educated, creative, and clever while a woman is the opposite
of all these traits.  The way parents bring up their children, which create disparity between boys
and girls, also is a source of gender-based violence in later life”.  When a boy grows up, knowing
that he is not supposed to wash his own clothes, cook or help in the house, if he grows up and
gets married to a woman who comes from a home where duties are equally shared between girls
and boys, this can create tension that might lead to violence (Krug, 2002). 

1.6.4 Impact of GBV on Women’s Economic Empowerment

Agricultural sector and agricultural-based livelihoods are highly dependent on land, natural
resources and human labor and thus good health status of farmers; this means that farmers are
negatively affected by GBV. And women being the greatest contributor to the agricultural sector
and general outputs, they are greatly affected when GBV set in. This has greatly impacted on
food security in family setting (WFP, 2007).

With the increasing GBV cases, development and development programs have been jeopardized
and this has kept the trends of poverty cycles rising high and higher among rural households. In
this regard, as the socio-economic costs of gender based violence increase, the ability to save and
14
invest has reduced. This has accelerated gender based violence in rural households as poverty is
looked at as one of the stimulators of gender based violence (Gertrude, 2010).

From an international development perspective, GBV is fundamentally at odds with the

objectives of the Millennium Development Goals, which include promoting gender equality and
empowering women. GBV contributes to, and is exacerbated by, the economic and sociopolitical
discrimination experienced by women in many countries (Population Council, 2008). It is a
major driver of individual women’s disempowerment and poverty in general , as the threat of
violence constrains women’s choices, abilities, and productivity both within and beyond the
household (Terry & Hoare, 2007). GBV hampers productivity, reduces human capital and
economic growth. Exposure to GBV exacerbates the problem of women’s poverty, in turn,
makes women more vulnerable to GBV. Women’s lack of economic empowerment is evident in
lack of access to and control over resources such as land, personal property, wages, and credit
(UN-GA, 2006). 

Social stigma and discrimination may lead to psychological trauma, feelings of powerlessness,
and inadequacy to engage in productive activities and to fully participate in community activities
leave them impoverished (Le Thi Phuong Mai,March 2005).The physical health consequences
experienced by the victims were predominantly sexually transmitted infections with its
complications. The psychological and mental consequences included feeling of humiliation, loss
of self-esteem, an aversion to sex, depression. Stigmatization, high divorce rate, unwanted
pregnancy and poverty dominated social and economic consequences of SGBV (IGWG of
USAID, 2006).

Worldwide, the range and magnitude of GBV has tremendous negative impact to the individual,
family and society (Mugawe& Powell, 2006). In addition to being a direct cause of injury,
illness, and death, exposure to gender-based violence significantly increases other health risk
factors for girls and women, including increased likelihood of early sexual debut, forced sex,
transactional sex, and unprotected sex, (Population Council, 2008). Survivors of gender-based
violence experience increased rates of morbidity, mortality, and higher rates of health conditions
including HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, health risks associated with unwanted
pregnancies, and mental illness (Terry & Hoare, 2007). The effects of female Genital cutting
(FGC) as the form of GBV are many for example it impending girls’ sexual enjoyment,

15
experience intense pain, bleeding, painful abdominal menstruation, infection or trauma (Women
vision in Uganda, 1998).

Gender-based violence is heavy a health burden for women of ages 15-49 is as that posed by
HIV, tuberculosis and infection during child birth, cancer and heart diseases.  The fourth world
conference on women has adopted a platform for action, which declares that “violence against
women is an obstacle to the achievement of the objective of equality, peace and
development” (Population Reference Bureau 2000).

In most families men are dominant, women’s bargaining power is weak and they are unable to
discuss, negotiate or decide on sexual and reproduction issues. Awareness and availability of
condoms for women to protect themselves from contracting HIV/AIDS does not work in
households where there is a threat of violence. Violence decreases women’s ability to negotiate
safe sex and increases their risk of exposure to forced and unprotected sex (Kimuna and Djamba
2008).

1.6.5 Mitigating Challenges of Gender Based Violence

The world strongest evidence of effectiveness for the primary prevention of GBV is with respect
to school-based programs to prevent violence within adolescents’ dating relationships. Such
programs, however, have not been sufficiently evaluated in resource-poor settings and cannot be
expected, in any case, to be effective as isolated strategies (WHO, 2011).  

Additional promising primary prevention strategies that have tried to do their best , include
microfinance combined with gender equality training; promotion of communication and
relationship skills within communities; reducing access to alcohol; alcohol harm reduction; and
changing cultural gender norms (WHO, 2011). 

Mitigating GBV has of recent taken another shift that involves multiple sectors in the
community, from law and justice to education and health. However these efforts have not
become fruitful due to fear, victim-blaming, stigmatization, discrimination, and cultural taboos
that often keep survivors of GBV from seeking assistance and efforts have not been made to
ensure that services are available and accessible. Medical, legal, and social services for survivors
should be integrated and coordinated responses (Singhal, 2004). 

Legislation and policies have be developed and enforced to protect survivors of GBV, address
gender discrimination, promote gender equity, and discourage violence (WHO, 2011). Much as
16
these legislations to prevent and address gender-based violence has been enacted on international
and national levels, these laws are not homogeneously enforced (UNICEF, 2009). Legal systems
can be undermined by national and international conflicts, disregarded, or procedurally
circumvented this is as to why they have been unevenly enforced (UNICEF, 2009).

On the other hand, on a state and community level, legal systems have sometimes served to re-
victimize survivors of GBV rather than helping them. Many governments deny the existence of
sexual violence, engage in extreme forms of victim blaming, force victims into the hands of their
abusers, and block humanitarian efforts to provide services for survivors of abuse (International
Center for Research on Women, 2006). Proving rape is extremely difficult in some legal
systems, resulting in stigmatization and further harm to survivors while perpetrators go
unpunished (UNICEF, 2009). 

Continuing advocacy, monitoring, and accountability by the international community has been
done and has encouraged governments worldwide to enforce the laws that protect human rights,
the health and wellbeing of their populations, and promote positive development (Kaufman,
2003). 

UNDP developed a framework for mainstreaming pro-poor and gender-sensitive indicators into
evaluations of democratic governance. A set of key questions used to formulate the pro-poor and
gender-sensitive indicators, with each question being accompanied by a particular indicator. This
framework has been implemented in Uganda to mitigate the effects of gender based violence
(UNDP 2006).

 1.7 Research Methods

1.7.1 Research design
The research used explanatory and exploratory research designs. Explanatory and exploratory
designs were used to obtain in-depth information from the respondents. Respondents willingly
gave out data since the study was much curious and to understand dynamics in the society.  

1.7.2 Study population and Sample size

The major sources of data were the different categories of 50 respondents who among others
included; thirty five (35) members of the community of which 20 were women and 15 men, five

17
(5) local council chairpersons, five (5) religious of which two (2) women and three (3) men,
however this did not segregate but encompassed all religions in the area and five (5) NGOs
members. 

1.7.3 Sampling procedure

Simple random sampling was used among community members, church leaders and LC
chairpersons or committees. This technique was used in interviewing and collecting data from
respondents who are defined in the sample size. Under this kind of sampling, the sample was
taken based on the purpose of the study. However, equal numbers of samples in their specified
categories were obtained from all the 6 parishes that make up Nyakayojo sub-county. Therefore,
purposive sampling was used while selecting NGOs members’ respondents. The aim of using
purposive sampling was to get relevant data from respondents. 

1.7.4 Methods of data collection

1.7.4.1 Primary data
Primary data was collected using interviews. This was raw data that was collected from study
respondents using research instruments. Interviews were mostly preferred as they helped in
generating much information in regard to the study. Clarity prevailed in such circumstances since
local language is used to interpret to the respondents who were not well off in English. This
involved probing in any case the researcher felt uncomfortable with the responses given by the
respondents. Probing helps in recording and taking note of accurate data which was very
important in conducting a successful study. This method of data collection was used to collect
data from some of community members and all the other categories of respondents for whom
FGD were not conducted. Focus group discussions were conducted to extract data from
respondents. This helped the researcher to gather much information as it is believed that a group
can generate more views compared to individuals. This expanded the context in which women’s
economic empowerment and gender based violence impact on each other. Groups were
organized and then met by the researcher to discuss with them in regard to the focus group
discussion guide. This suited best among community members since they composed the biggest
number that could easily be mobilized for focus group discussions.

18
Observation method was also executed to collect data from respondents. The researcher was
interested in observing events that take place and sometimes result into GBV cases. Even
attitudes of couples towards each other were also of much emphasis to be observed. Observation
also explored the economic and social activities that women were engaged in that are likely to
make them vulnerable to GBV. This was applicable to all categories of respondents.

1.7.4.2 Secondary data

Existing data sources related gender based violence and women’s economic empowerment were
visited. This was done in the context of documentary review. This included published books,
newspapers, voice news and talks on radios and televisions, text books, magazines internet
sources which are in line with the area of study were used to gather information that was
presented in the chapter two. This secondary data supplemented the primary data that was got
from the field.

1.7.5 Tools of data collection

Questionnaires were used by the researcher to extract information from respondents. The process
of data collection involved home visits and was made following the designated questions in both
cases interview guides and questionnaires were administered. The form of administering these
questionnaires depended on their levels of education, meaning that where respondents were
educated, self-administered questionnaires were left for the respondents to answer and were
withdrawn afterwards, and to the uneducated respondents, the researcher took time to ask and
interpret the questionnaire into local language. Interview guides were used to extract data from
religious, local leaders and NGOs.

Observable events were captured using cameras and presented as pictures. Since observable
events were very crucial in the research, the study did not ignore its use. In some cases violence
was even be evidenced in emotions, actions, words uttered out, and sometimes in a discussion.
Therefore such events were relevant for the success of the study. This was applicable to all
categories of respondents.

Interview guides during FGDs were also be used. These gave clear details about the topic under
study since they involved generation of many issues as they were more open not restricting the
information to be given. Probing as one of the techniques to validate the information given by

19
backing it up with examples and evidence the researcher believed that worked best for him.
These tools were used to extract information from community members and local leaders.

 1.8 Data analysis

Qualitative data was analyzed based on the sub themes generated from the main theme using
what was referred to as thematic or content analysis guided by the objectives of study. The data
that was collected was also analyzed using verbatim analysis where by respondents’ views were
directly quoted and presented in the analysis. The data was presented using computer programs
like micro soft word, and the research problem was discussed and explained in details.
Quantitative data was collected, edited and coded. It was edited to ensure the flow of questions
and coded to assign numbers forward so as to drive statistical meaning of data. In this case data
was presented in tables in tables showing the frequencies and percentages. Numerical tables were
generated and then data was presented using the methods as thus. Use of other quantitative
methods of data analysis was also executed. These included pie-chart, graphs, and numbers and
assigning values to data. This kind of analysis generated the real picture of the topic under study.

1.9 Study limitations

The terrain of the sub-county was not conducive for travelling in, exemplified by the
mountainous areas of Kicwamba. This made the study difficult to the researcher.

Some people were not willing to avail the required information because they were not aware
about the purpose of the information. The study’s nature being a bit sensitive, some respondents
would fear to reveal the required data. The researcher however, was burdened to explain to the
respondents that the information needed was for academic purpose only.

Illiteracy of some respondents who failed to read and write when filling the questionnaire. This
increased the load and task of the researcher to explain and fill the questionnaires himself.

Limited time since the research was done simultaneously with the normal lecture and exams.

Expenses for the whole research study were very high. These were in terms of transport, meeting
café for e-mailing, telephone, and printing costs.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS

2.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the findings organized under the following themes; biographic
characteristics of respondents, the various activities women done by women, prevalence of GBV,
forms GBV, causes of GBV, and effects of GBV on women’s empowerment, measures to curb
and challenges associated with curbing GBV.

2.2 Biographic Characteristics of Respondents

The study that was conducted found out that the demographic characteristics of the respondents
included their gender composition, marital status, age, level of education and their occupation.
These had an implication on the study as explained in the proceeding paragraphs.

2.2.1 Gender Composition of Respondents

The study selected the sample and the characteristics of these samples were: males were 50% as
well as females. The number of male and female respondents was the same that is 25 in each
category. Much as the study used more female respondents in communities compared to males,
however in the key informants, more males was engaged since they compose the biggest labor
force but at the end of the study, the number of respondents were the same.

2.2.2 Marital status of the respondents

Among the sampled population, 8% were single, 80% married, 4%widows, 8% separated and
there were no divorced respondents. Failure of the husband to avail household’s basic needs
among the married couples was documented as the major cause of violence.
GBV cases were so high because of mistrust and possibility of having multiple partners
alongside being occupied leading to failure to execute domestic tasks. Violence was the order of
the day among married couples compared to the widows and those who were single. However,
this did not exempt the latter from experiencing GBV though they were not much affected.

21
2.2.2 Age of the respondents
The age of respondents was as thus; 18% were below 26 years, 18% below 36 years, 30% below
46 years, 22% below 56 years and 12% above 56 years. The study found out that GBV was more
prevalent in partners between the ages of 26-45 compared to other partners outside this age
bracket. This was so because most partners start learning each other the more during this period
of life.

2.2.3 Level of Education

The study found out that 4% never attended school at all, 16% had dropped at primary level,
34% had dropped at secondary level, 42% had attained tertiary or University education and 4%
had attended adult education. Violence was also proved more prevalent among the highly
educated due to the struggle for wealth from each other. However, the prevalent levels of
violence among the uneducated were as a result of misunderstandings that they in most cases
failed to negotiate as a couple.

2.2.4 Occupation of the Respondents

Respondents were much engaged in the these occupations; peasants composed 28% of the study,
24% were civil servants, 20% were working with NGOs and 28% were much involved in
business. These characteristics had an impact on the study in that the study found out that
majority separation cases documented by the study had stemmed from disagreements based on
property ownership among the working partners. GBV was so high in high-income partners and
low-income partners compared to middle-income partner and the reason behind this was that
GBV was because of owning too little and too much resources and wealth.

Blames for GBV was attributed to both partners equally and sometimes one partner had the
greatest blame for being the stimulator of GBV and in this case the husband.

22
 Table.1 showing demographic characteristics of respondents

Frequency Percentage
Sex
Males 25 50

Females 25 50
Marital status
Single 4 8
Married 40 80
Widow 2 4
Divorced 0 0
Separated 4 8
Age bracket
20-25 9 18
26-35 9 18
36-45 15 30
46-55 11 22
56+ 6 12

Education level
Never attended at all 2 4

Primary 8 16
Secondary 17 34
Tertiary/University 21 42
Adult education 2 4

Occupation
Peasant 14 28
Civil servant 12 24
Working with NGOs 10 20

Business 14 28
Source: Study findings, 2013

23
2.3 Types of Economic Activities Women Perform
The study explored the activities that women engage and found that 80% of the respondents were
engaged in the agricultural sector, 60% were in services delivery, 50% involved in business
activities 50%, and 20% of the respondents were in the craftwork.

2.3.1 Agriculture

The study found out that the large numbers of women were engaged in agricultural-related
activities. More than 80% of women of women revealed that their reliable source of livelihood
was extracted from agriculture. However, these activities were again divided into rearing and
cultivation activities. Among the rearing activities were; piggery projects, poultry keeping, goat
rearing, cattle keeping among others. These rearing activities quite challenging to women
because of a large population and the small portions of land that people hold. They have
therefore resorted to in-door that dominated in most of the areas. This was evidenced by
65%according to the study findings.

Those engaged in cultivation activities were involved in planting of banana, beans, peas, maize,
and cassava among others crops. Banana and bean production dominated the cultivated crops and
other cultivated crops supplemented on the dominating crops to ensure food security alongside
the rearing activities. Beans are seasonal, bananas are perennial crops and on average each
household had a banana plantation of more than one hectare and seasonally produced more than
one sack of beans for both domestic consumption and for sale.

2.3.2 Service Delivery

The study again found out that 60% women were also engaged in the provision of services to the
public was more than half of the men employed in the different sectors of service provision. 60%
of women combined now are in the counseling sector, in teaching, and providing saloon services.
The study found out that an average number estimated at 25% of women had joined the church
to work as catechists, reverends, sisters, and others as wardens.

2.3.3 Business Activities

Another important activity that 50% women’s effort took initiative in to expand their income
generation was the engagement of women in business related activities. Women have practically
handled cash, balanced their books of account to have prospering business ventures. Some of the

24
businesses related activities are involved in included; baking bridal cakes, hiring decorations for
party, selling second hand clothes (bikkade), operating retail shops, and selling food and food
stuffs among other activities.

2.3.4 Craft Industry

The study realized that 20% of women have had their livelihood from the craft industry. They no
longer sit down to enjoy leisure but concentrate on craft or hand work. These activities include
knitting or weaving baskets, mats, table mats, hand bags, modeling or pottery, cooking stoves
among others with clay near Rucece swamp where most of the raw materials are extracted.
However some women have not appreciated the role played by these simple income generating
activities as some respondents never realized a much contribution of these craft materials in
general even after selling.

The study found out that 65% of women’s effort in these activities is their personal contribution
although 35% say that their husbands have helped them in financing and daily running of these
activities. These activities were operated with the consensual agreement of the couple although
some of the couples were not willing to finance and facilitate the daily running of these
activities.

2.4 Benefits of Women’s Activities to the family

The activities that women were engaged in were beneficial in the following ways; 40%
generation of income, 21% food security, 15% educating children by paying fees, 10% settling
debts, 8% improving standards of living, 7% taking care of children, 4% self-sustaining, 3%
family fame and popularity and 2% saving for the future .

2.4.1 Income Generation

Data from the field shown the great contribution of women activities in generating income to the
family, more than 40% of their activities generate income and it accumulation has led to
expansion of their businesses and projects plus expanding the choice of the services and goods
they enjoy. For example women who work as civil servants and all others who get remittances at
the end of a given period of have started booming businesses like retail shops, bars, saloons and
sustained them by increasing on their stock. Some of these businesses are entrusted to men where
others are jointly owned.
25
2.4.2 Food Security
Most of their activities being agricultural 21% ascertained that food security has been ensued
through agricultural. The study found out that much as most of the produces are meant for sale,
they reserve enough food for their families to ensure continuous food supply and security for the
families they own. The study also found out that some women own personal plantations and are
responsible for all the produce whether for sale or home consumption.

2.4.3 Education of Children

Women have ensured continuous and non-stop attainment of education of their children. This has
been ensured through 15% moral and financial support. Morally, women have the duty to
convince their husbands to their children in good schools, but she can only convince when she
has a small portion to contribute or what to start with. Women have again provided financial
support to their children through paying fees or tuition either full or sharing costs of education
with their husbands, giving pocket money, buying scholastic materials and other school
requirements. The study found out that 70% education of the youngest children in the family was
in most cases placed in the hands of their mothers as their duty, as well as buying the school
requirements.

2.4.4 Settling Debts

Community perception that men are bad debtors has been solved by 10% the economic
empowerment of women. Mercies filled with women as mothers have aroused sympathy to clear
debts of the family including those of their husbands. This has been possible with the economic
empowerment of women. Much as men are referred to as “spending units”, women are “saving
units” (Field data, 2013). This has practically ceased as women engage in settling grand debts of
the family.

2.4.5 Improved Standards of Living

General increase in the standards of living has been registered. The study found out that 8% of
Women now meet costs for the family’s basic needs. The support that was formerly being given
by the husband alone was not all that enough to realize a good and recommendable standard of
living for the entire family. But with the activities that women do and the empowerment they
have gradually achieved, standard of living has improved. “It is now women who buy salt, food,

26
clothing for children, even some times for their husbands” (source: Field data March 2013). Men
no longer meet most of the household’s basic needs but women have taken the initiative to take
on the struggle.

2.4.6 Taking Care of Children

Women activities have been essential in the taking care of the children and relatives. 7% of
Women revealed that their activities have helped in provision of food, health care, meeting other
needs of the children that are essential for their growth. The activities that women do supplement
on husband’s income to secure the family’s needs and extend charity to their relatives although
this has its own repercussions. 80% of women revealed that after doing these activities and
benefiting from them, it is their duty to meet the basic of life for the family to reduce their
husband’s burden. Government and NGO workers have had a great impact to the family by
providing counseling services and sharing of their important ideas with the entire family that has
built women. Having passed through great steps that are essential through some one’s life style
that lead to success, then children and the entire has family benefited from such valuable ideas.

2.4.7 Self-Sustaining
Women are no longer solely depending on their husbands but self-sustaining. This has been 4%
proved by the study, possible with their engagement in a number of income generating activities.
Unlike in the past where women’s life was all at the mercies of their loved ones, these activities
that women do have been of great value in helping them achieve all that they need or want.
Nowadays women meet all their needs including those of their husbands and children. Self-
sustaining of women is very vital as it reduces expenditure as they begin to cater for their own
needs and those of others.

2.4.8 Family Fame

Socially, families have gained fame or popularity as women have got involved in activities
related to income generation. The study found out that 3% of the family’s fame is won by
women. More especially those who are involved in politics have gained family fame and have
helped their families to gain popularity outside the community.

27
2.4.9 Saving for Future Use
The study found out that women’s activities have generated income of which 2 % has been saved
to cater for the forecasted needs. Men being the “spending units” have been rescued by savings
made by their wives after generating income from such activities. At a time when men’s pockets
are dormant, the savings accumulated by women are of great help to encounter the deteriorating
and terrifying situations in terms of meeting the costs for the needs and necessities of the family.
These savings have not stopped at only meeting such needs but even being injected to other
activities to accumulate with time. Some women have accumulated incomes which they have
profitably used to benefit the entire family. Apparently, (1/4) of women own their personal
acquired assets like cars, land, and projects. These have been of their own efforts although most
people argue that they have accumulated these riches because they have partners, but they play a
minimal role in acquisition of these assets. These have in most cases helped the entire family in
case of loan access as the work as securities to acquire a loan.

Women’s effort to involve themselves in these activities was not wastage of time and resources
as most men thought that their primary roles were domestic. A number of valuable assets,
services and facilities have been rendered by women to their families after gaining economic
empowerment as they range from basic needs of life to necessities.

2.5 Male Contribution to Women’s Economic Empowerment

This study found that men contributed to women’s economic empowerment through maintaining
good relations (30%), meeting transport costs (20%), giving advice and financial support (12%),
education them and their children (12%), granting permission (10%), working together and
having joint accounts (8%) and provision of inputs (8%).

2.5.1 Good Relations

Ensuring good relations with each other was ranked the topmost motivator for the economic
empowerment of women. 30% of the respondents revealed that having good relations in terms of
economic was very essential for the empowerment of women.

“We are not pressurized by our husbands sometimes when we are so busy engaged in our
activities” (Field data, 2013)

28
The study found out that women’s tasks have gained popularity with the engagement of men to
help their partners. This has given courage to women to expand their operation and engagement
in those activities. The respondents ascertained that their husbands have given them a conducive
environment to participate in women groups, increase the household income and live
harmoniously.

2.5.2 Meeting Women’s Transport Costs

The study again found out that 20% of women have been facilitated through meeting their
transport or journey costs by their husbands. This was more applicable to women who had
permanent employment like teachers, bankers, secretaries in organizations and schools and other
employees. Husbands who own vehicles shown their enthusiasm to facilitate and drop their
partners to their places of work as well as picking them after work. This according to the study
was seen as one of the best ways to establish social relations that culminated in economic
relations hence empowering women economically.

2.5.3 Providing Advice and Financial Support

Women whose business activities are thriving attributed 12% of this success to the advice and
financial support from their partners. This was most evident in case the business came to the
point of collapse and even providing the initial capital. Men revealed that empowering women
economically was reducing their expenditure on buying and meeting essential needs of the
family. Actually, 30% of the husbands revealed that they have secured loans to facilitate the
businesses of their wives directly and indirectly standing in for them as reference persons for
them to be legible to acquire loans and their sustainability has empowered women economically.
As tradition emphasized man being the bread winner, men have been instrumental in meeting the
basic needs to reduce on the expenditure of their partners so that they can invest their income and
allow it to accumulate and expand their scope of empowerment economically. Nowadays, men
stay back home to take care of children as their wives go for work. This contradicts the
traditional nature of African societies however this has helped in empowering women
economically. One of the respondents confirmed this by mentioning that;

“Men now stay back home and do domestic work much as it was formerly meant for women”
(Field data; March 2013).

29
2.5.4 Education of women and girl child
Women’s economic empowerment being a gradual process has got an origin which in this regard
has been enhanced through girl child education. This was revealed by the study and was
documented that 12% of women had got empowered through this kind of support. Parents in this
case men have realized the need to educate their children with the focus to girls now as the
struggle for empowering them hit a cornerstone in vain except through education and joining
good schools and institution. The girls’ enrolment in education currently surpasses that of boys at
all levels of education. Here most of the funds to this are men’s contributions. Men have also
allowed and financed their partners to go for further education. A critical over view on the female
students in higher institutions of learning showed that, 10-20% of them are sponsored or
facilitated by their husbands or boy lovers promising them to be their future partners. Much as
some men have not sponsored financially, they have allowed them to further up their education
and giving them conducive learning environment.

2.5.5 Granting Permission to Participate in Economic Activities

Related to the above, 10% granting women permission or allowing them freely to participate in
income generating activities helped them to gain courage and morale for empowering
themselves. This incorporated so many other contributions like advising them on the best
alternative to take when it came to selecting a viable venture, sharing ideas on the profitability of
all possible alternatives among others.

2.5.6 Working Together and Having Joint Accounts

Men’s support to women’s economic empowerment has in most cases been evidenced with some
sense of being trusty and having joint bank accounts for the couple. That this helped in
transparency, planning and proper accountability of the family’s resources. The study found out
that 8% had joint accounts as a couple although these accounts were in SACCOs. However, this
was not a reality as individuals at the same time the couple held other accounts in other banks to
save other income not known to the partner. This gradually reduced the applicability of the
account to 4% in the area. Other 20% category of men had joined same economic empowering
groups with women commonly known as “Nterere Nku terere” literally meaning “Pool for me, I
will also pull for you”. These are saving groups where members pool money or assets and give it
or them to an individual after a given period of time usually a month. This circulated until the

30
entire group was compensated or catered for. The period ranged from a week/ month or two
months

2.5.7 Providing Manual labor and Inputs

To the agriculturalists, 8% men supported their partners in various ways including provision of
inputs like seeds, manure, and helped in planting and harvesting processes by providing manual
labor and encouraging the children to support their mothers’ activities. The study revealed that
consensus was built among the couple on the tasks to execute in case one of the partners needed
help from the other in relation to provision of manual labor.

2.6 Requirements to Joining Women’s Economic Empowerment Groups

The study found out joining women groups or SACCOs are required to save between 3000/=-
10,000/= for groups and 10,000-25,000/= for SACCOs per month. The findings from the field
realized that 80% of women had joined economic empowerment groups. These groups were
based on the locality of respondents much as others were known in the coverage for the entire
sub-county. Some of the locally based women groups were “Kwetungura” groups (Development
groups) operating in most of the villages and at parish level. These included; Katukuru Bakyara,
MUCWO- a women organisation operating in Rwakishakizi parish, Nyakayojo AIDS alleviation
Front (NAAF) majorly engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the sub-county. This last group
is composed of both men and women from the entire sub-county. Other groups included;
Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA), SACCOs operating in Kitagata-Nyarubungo parish and
Nyakayojo SACCO located at the sub-county head-quarters.

The study revealed that women were saving money between 10.000/= and 25.000/= in SACCOs
per month, while in women groups, they were saving between 3.000/= and 10.000/= on their
account. However, the study did not explore extensively their operation as the study had other
haunting matters and the focus to critically explore.

2.7 Benefits of Women Groups to their Empowerment

An over view on the benefits of women’s economic empowerment and social groups have been
registered with overwhelming success in Nyakayojo sub-county 30% acquiring loans, 25%
saving on these groups, 20% working together, 13% sharing dividends, 10% building
confidence, 2% others.
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2.7.1 Acquiring loans
The study found out that 30% of women have benefited from joining these groups by acquiring
loans. Some of the groups simply lend money on low interest rates that favor prosperity and the
activities they invest in the borrowed money. Getting a loan required the simple qualification of
being a member of the group. One would get the loan she wants as long as it proved that she had
the ability to pay back. The amount of a loan was also determined by the pooled money that is
the amount in the treasury at the time of need. The loan was payable in any given period as long
as the person who acquired it was paying the interest per month. The interest rates were as low
ranging from 8-15% per month. The great idea behind this was that a successful project required
extra funding either from internal or external sources.

2.7.2 Saving their earnings

The study found out that 25% of women had opportunities to save in their empowerment groups.
The respondents revealed that those empowerment groups were receiving remittances from
members on a monthly basis ranging from 3.000/= to 10.000/= per month depending on the
strength of the group.

2.7.3 Working together

The finding show that 20% of women have worked together in these groups. The built up
solidarity and coming together for collective purpose and action has helped women to gain
empowerment. This has been done through cultivating land, weeding of crops like maize
gardens, beans, millet, among other crops cultivated.

“In case we need to help, our husbands are always at our rescue. They help us when we are
cultivating, harvesting, they help us to with their manpower” (Field data, 2013)

This has given women morale to work harder and achieve empowerment with the help of their
husbands.

2.7.4 Sharing Profits and Dividends

Sharing of profits, dividends and other benefits from women’s groups were also seen as a driving
factor towards women’s economic empowerment. The respondents expressed that 13% of their
wealth had been accumulated through benefits from groups.

32
2.7.5 Gaining Skills and Confidence
Respondents revealed that they had acquired and gained skills and confidence to start up self-
help projects. The study found out that 10% of women had gained skills and were confident to
take up risky ventures hoping to benefit which the study confirmed that they actually benefited
compared to before joining groups. This kind of confidence had been acquired through learning
management and planning skills and training on creativity that they had received from their
group mates.

2.7.6 Other Benefits

The remaining 2% belonged to other benefits that the respondents had had from joining groups.
These included improving house hold income, encouraging hard work, getting advice from group
members, instilling morals in fellow women and educating each other.

2.8 Prevalence of GBV and Reporting

The study realized that GBV prevalence was estimated at 75% in Nyakayojo sub-county. An
interaction with police officers at the sub-county headquarters revealed that daily more than two
cases related to GBV are reported to the sub-county police post at the headquarters every day.
According to the records at the police station, (Nyakayojo police post) prevalence of GBV was
ranked at 60%. However this 60% prevalence is an estimate according to the O.C police post
Nyakayojo. This excluded cases that are solved by LC’s and those negotiated at family level.

The cases frequently reported included spousal neglect, marital rape, property ownership related
cases, child neglect by either the husband or wife among other cases and the cases most
frequently reported are the SGBV that account for 65% of the GBV cases.

The statistics do not differ from the prevalence of GBV countrywide. The way these cases have
picked a gradual increase in the country has also applied to Nyakayojo sub-county. An analysis
show that 32 and 42 divorce cases were documented in 2010 and 2011 respectively, 65 same
cases were registered in 2012 and by mid-March 2013, 13 divorce cases had been already
registered (source: NTV news 20th March 2013 at 9:00).

33
2.9 Forms of GBV in Nyakayojo Sub-County
From the study findings identified economic violence (30%) , physical intimate partner violence
(28.6%) , sexual violence (20%), psychological violence (12%) and child marriage (9%) as the
common forms of GBV.

2.9.1 Economic Violence

The study found out that the most dominant form of violence was economic violence. The study
documented that 30% of partners experience this form of violence. In most cases, women were
frequently abused on their economic strength and economic related issues. These included failure
for men to constantly supply the family with the basic needs of life like soap, salt, food shelter,
cloths and education. The study also found out that women who had assets were in the names of
their husbands and all the authority regarding such assets was vested in the hands of men. This
was related to the cultural tendencies of property ownership being the obligation of the husband.

2.9.2 Physical Intimate Partner Violence

The study realized that 28.6% of the respondents were victims of or knew about physical
intimate partner violence. This form of violence was very rampant in most families and was
manifested in either or all the following ways; wife battering (beating) by boxing, kicking,
slapping, throwing stones, sticks or pouring hot or cold water and caning. Majorly women who
were prone to this violence had scary or deformed bodies, with black spots or light spots on their
body parts as the researcher observed critically.

2.9.3 Sexual Violence

Sexual violence (SGBV) represented by 20% according to the study was also discovered as
another form of GBV. This was common among women as they are not so strong compared to
men and their vulnerability. The violence in form of sexual practices was perpetuated through
rape that is both marital and ordinary rape, defilement, denial and abuse of conjugal rights.
Sexual violence was greatly evidenced by women who say almost everybody got attracted to
them.

34
2.9.4 Psychological Violence
The study realized that psychological violence was also common in the area. Most of the families
had evidenced this kind of violence and the entire society as estimated at 12.4%. Respondents
revealed that they were not always happy with their partners who in most cases ignored
satisfying their sexual desires or feelings, refusing to eat food cooked by their wives, ignoring
their needs and neglecting their responsibilities. This disrupted their thinking and even made
them think otherwise as if they had other partners outside. This destabilized their mind set.

2.9.5 Child Marriage

It was also found out that 9% of the violence that was rampant and known in the area was child
marriage. Due to the greed for wealth, parents were influential in engaging their girl children in
early marriage practices to gain dowry related wealth. The study found out that this was as a
result of parents’ failure or refusal to educate their girl children and forcefully pushed them in
early marriage practices.

2.10 Causes of GBV in Nyakayojo Sub County

The study again found out that families have GBV because of poverty (26%), alcohol and drug
abuse (20%), polygamous relationships (17.5%), 12% mistrust among partner (12%), rumors
(10%), un exemplary leaders (7.5%), associating with bad groups (5%) and others causes (2%)..

2.10.1 Poverty and property ownership

The major ranked cause of GBV according to the study was poverty and property ownership.
The study ascertained that 26% of the violence cases stem from resource that the family owns.
This was in line with the empowerment of both partners being the cause of disagreements and
differences that exist in families. The study found out that ownership of land was controversial
being acquired land through ones sweat and inherited land. There was no clear distinct on who
owned inherited land between the wife and the husband and who took responsibility in case a
woman bought her own land and she wanted to sell it off.

“A woman cannot sell of the land whether she acquired it herself from her own activities or
not because she used some resources of the husband and was supported directly or indirectly to

35
acquire it. This applies to all other assets that she owns. Again the man has no authority to sell
any property unless the wife consents”. (Field data; March, 2103)

The study again found out that majority of women were willing to develop their father’s homes
that their own. The study documented that many worked had worked harder and built good house
for their parents much as their own family was in a multi limbo situations. Quarrels cropped as a
result of poverty in order to stabilize the standards of living by meeting all the basic needs of life.
In this case funding of education was seen as one of the aspects which led to violence as it
belonged to whose responsibility. But with financial constraints that surround the rural areas of
Nyakayojo sub-county, the study found out that women’s effort to achieve empowerment also
resulted in violence as they abandoned domestic work and husbands through that their main
intention was to meet other men at the work place. This was ranked as the major cause of GBV
in families of Nyakayojo sub-county.

2.10.2 Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The area is predominantly a banana growing area; juice that is squeezed out is later fermented
resulting in formation of alcohol has greatly affected family relations negatively. Other alcoholic
drinks packed in tot packs and bottles are bought from Mbarara town, and circulated in the rural
areas of Nyakayojo sub-county. The study found out that 20% of the respondents blame
consumption of alcohol and drugs was also a driving factor to GBV. Most alcoholics argued that
alcohol helped them drive off shyness from them in order to start mistreating their wives while
women argued that in the same manner they are influenced by alcohol most of the time they
engage in violent acts. However the study found out that violence was intentional although the
perpetuators were influenced by alcohol most of the time. Again the places that they joined for
booze were also detrimental as men shared destructive ideas much as all of them were not
practicing violence.

2.10.3 Polygamous Relationships

The study findings indicated that 17.5% of GBV cases were as a result of polygamous
relationships. Much polygamy practices are not largely practiced in the area, the few families
where it is practiced GBV cases are so high. One of the female respondent mentioned that; “I
got married when I knew he had another wife, he told me he wanted to have a child with me, he
has now abandoned me with no reason, and even during Easter period he did not turn up yet he
36
was always with me during that time. His other wife doesn’t know that he is with me but me I
know he has two of us” (A victim of GBV resulting from polygamous relationships elaborated;
field data).

The respondents argued that provision of basic needs was seen as the major hindrance that
existed in polygamous families associated by neglect of the wife and children for a period of
time if not for ever. In case the victim tried to inquire about what was not right in terms of why
needs were not provided to the family, retaliation was always a bitter one in form of quarrels,
beating, slapping and other forms of physical intimate partner violence. Failure for the man to
allocate equal time to each family or wife was also responsible for violence as it was a sign of
neglect or abandonment and lack of care from the husband, and any intervention to re-instate the
souring moment turned chaotic. Even prostitution on the side of women was seen as the major
aspect under which polygamy was a cause of GBV. Much as marrying many women was seen as
a sign of prestige, the chaotic nature of such families called off the prestige held by such
families.

2.10.4 Mistrust among Couples

Mistrust among couples was also identified as a cause of violence by 12%according to the study.
Couples never trusted each other in case one of the partners was away. Bothe sides kept biased
and uncomfortable as they worked in different places. The study found out that among working
partners, violence was in most case stemming from this particular cause.

“While we are away, we meet other men as well as our husbands spotting other women who at
the end attract their attention, and in most cases it is hard to hide it unless the relationship is not
intimate. These friends leave us in compromising states that lead to violence either by the
husband or by women to a small extent” (Field data; FGD in Kicwamba parish)

However this was sometimes poorly perceived as some people’s characters were different and in
this case hospitality of some individuals was taken for granted that the end result was intimacy
although the study found out that 70% of friends were to those they befriended.

37
2.10.5 Rumors
The respondents revealed to the study that 10% of violence cases were as a result of rumors “her
say”. Most of the perpetuators were attributing this cause to the “wordy nature of women” and
the men perpetuators were able to receive this information from their colleague. The study also
found out that children were responsible for such eruption of violence as they gradually reported
everything they saw in their own perception-whether wrong or right, one receiving this
information assumed it was valid requiring a tough action hence GBV. The study realized that
most rumors were originating from friends, happening places like bars, discos, hotels although to
a small extent from places of worship that is churches and mosques.

2.10.6 Lack of Exemplary Leaders

Lack of exemplary nature of local leaders was also identified as a facilitator to GBV. The
respondents ascertained that while as violence occurs in uncivilized and ignorant families, the
elite local leaders were also experiencing it. The study documented that 7.5% of violence
prevalence was blamed to the leaders themselves whose un exemplary nature was replicated in
society. The respondents had observed that most of the local leaders’ families are actually
violent, a vice that had failed their control in their homes.

“In case you go there to report the leader expressed his or her concern of having passed through
the same situation either last night/ two days back or that it is always inevitable situation in
society”(field data, March 2013).

2.10.7 Associating with bad groups

The bad groups that couples joined were also criticized for the increasing cases of GBV in
homes. The study found out that 5% of violence cases were attributed to associating with bad
groups or unfavorable groups joined by the individuals. The study realized that in a given
community there are groups that a person should not associate with as they are always seen as
destructive to the stable family. For example groups composed of women whose majority are
divorced or separated from their husbands, some groups of widows and single mothers were also
not good for the stability of the family.

38
2.10.8 Others
Other causes of GBV accounted for 2% according to the study. These included but not limited to
witchcraft, expressing authority by perpetuators, coming late at home especially when it came to
women, poor communication of family issues, culture and traditional beliefs, religious
differences, relatives, differences in levels of education, enticing and attractive dress codes that
even tempt men to commit SGBV among other.

2.11 Effects of GBV on Women Economic Empowerment

The effects of GBV were found entirely negative to both women economic empowerment as
well as to the entire family’s welfare. These were; hindering agricultural production (25%), job
insecurity (17%), high costs of nursing injuries (15%), neglect of responsibilities (12%),
polygamous relationship (10%), spread of HIV/AIDS (7%), divorce and separation (5%),
retarding business expansion (4%), retarding education of children (3%) and uncontrolled
spending (2%).

2.11.1 Effects on Agricultural Production

Accordingly, the study found out that due to constant battling and psychological torture,
agricultural activities that dominate the major source of income for women and household at
large have been jeopardize. Constant battling or physical partner violence had caused injuries
and disabilities to women making them unable to successfully engage in agricultural activities.

2.11.2 Job Insecurity and Family Instability

Due to mistrust, some men have limited the time their partners work. The women who had
employment outside not completely engaged in agriculture had found it challenging to
harmonize their families and work to ensure job security without compromising their stable
family relations. In fact some of the income women get had been taken away from them, as other
women argued that they no longer have a single coin to look after themselves although they were
earning from work.

2.11.3 Costly to Treat the Victims

Nursing the injuries caused on them by their husbands was proved very costly in terms of money
and time yet men didn’t want to meet such costs as they said that; “such injuries are called for by
39
women as they initiate quarrels” (Field data, March 2013). This reduced their effort to continue
actively practicing the beneficial activities where they were earning income.

2.11.4 Neglect of Responsibilities

The study found out that “men no longer meet or buy household basic needs” respondents
narrated. That because violence was sometimes seen in form of neglect to take over
responsibilities, women now are responsible for buying salt, soap, paraffin, cloths, and even
scholastic materials for their children to acquire education among other needs. Instead of women
using such money to invest in other productive businesses and projects like poultry, they have
used it to cater for such things solely without cost sharing the burden with their husbands. This
has left them back in terms of economic empowerment.

2.11.5 Effect Women’s Decision Making

GBV has greatly affected women since they are not responsible for final decisions and the entire
decision making processes on managing their own accumulated resources. In most cases women
have found it challenging to sell what they have sweated for in case they want to sell it off and
own something better than that. One of the respondents noted that; “Much as you bought this
land yourself and by your own effort, you acquired it from my own home and you have no
authority over it either selling it or exchanging it without my consent” (Field data; A husband
narrated as the researcher was in the field, 2013). This has affected their effort to empower
themselves as they are not part of planning process and not responsible of managing what they
had accumulated in form of wealth.

2.11.6 Adoption Polygamous Relationships

GBV also led to adoption of polygamous relationships. The study found out that due to
subsequent torture, one of the partners had to opt out for engaging another person leaving his/her
former partner for a reasonable period. However after one partner realized a mistake and opted to
get back to the former partner, in some cases he/she found when he/she has got another partner
and in this they had to accommodate each other resulting in a stay of all of them together. This
destabilized the income of both partners as they started sharing it with multiple partners.

40
2.11.7 Increasing spread of HIV/AIDS
The study also documented the increase spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually related diseases
as a result of SGBV. The violence that included forced sexual practices like marital rape,
defilement, rape, and other illegal sexual practices were blamed for the speedy spread of the
deadly disease. As earlier discussed, polygamous relationships that are as a result of GBV was
risky and different partners contracted different diseases from each other and spread it to a chain
of partners they associated with (Andersson, 2004). This has resulted in stigmatization and
further harm to survivors while perpetrators go unpunished (UNICEF, 2009). This impacted on
the productivity of women as they struggled to attend to health providers frequently for rescue
again weakening their effort to engage in productive activities.

2.11.8 Divisionism among partners

GBV resulted into divisionism among the partners, co-operation ceased as well as compromise.
Achieving economic empowerment needed working together for a common goal. However due
to GBV partners got tired of their spouse’s behavior and found it hard to work together with
them. Instead of men helping their wives, they started working on their own loads neglecting
those of their wives apart although sometimes it just required advice the men kept quiet. This had
been blamed for the collapse of business owned by their wives due to lack of financial
management and advice from their husbands.

2.11.9 Retarding education among children

GBV has impacted on children’s education especially girls’ education. Due to the domestic work
nature that women and girls collectively do, in case women left all the responsibilities were left
at the helm of girls of the family. The end result was dropping out of school which greatly
impacted on such girls’ ability to empower themselves after marriage because they lacked skills
to earn income as they never attended fully to education. This was responsible for the re-
occurrence of violence as most girls dropped out of school and married at an early age.

2.11.10 Divorce and separation

Divorce and separation has been a result of GBV. In most cases, the vulnerability of women has
made it impossible to contain the violence at home, however as it went beyond, they opted out of
relationship and started taking care of themselves. The study found out that this was very costly

41
to them, as they needed to meet the costs for rent, food, health care, and other necessities. This
has made it impossible for women to develop and empower themselves economically.

2.11.11 Discouraging investment

GBV has been a threat to many, including men. Fear for investing in profitable business had
developed in women. Women who owned much wealth had not been in position to plan for them.
Others had been threatened to lose their life including harming them. Other women had resorted
to spending in an up hazard manner because of GBV. They have realized no need to plan since it
calls for violence. The study found out that having nothing in form of wealth as a wife was the
best option to reduce GBV prevalence. This hindered the women’s ability to save for the future.

2.12 Measures to curb down GBV

Following the GBV dilemma in most societies, Nyakayojo has not been an exception in
minimizing the prevalence of the disastrous menace through: 35% sensitization, 21%
strengthening institutions, 11% role of government, 10% educating women, 8% workshops and
role of church, 7% starting up self-help projects, 5% monogamous relationships and 3% others.

The area being one of areas experiencing high rates of GBV, more efforts have been put in place
to try calming the situation.

2.12.1 Sensitization
The study documented that 35% of the effort to reduce the prevalence of the problem of GBV
has been done through carrying out sensitization workshops at the grass root level to the sub-
county and then the district at large. Workshops for couples have organized both by the
government and NGOs to harmonize their stay with each other. CDO of the area revealed that
these workshops are facilitated and they have been of a great change to reduce GBV.

2.12.2 Strengthening Institution

The study again revealed that 21% of the effort to reduce GBV was that institutions have been
strengthened to reduce GBV. The study found out that the state has strengthened laws that is
court laws and tribunals at different levels of the country. Arresting and trying the perpetuators of
GBV has also been ensued. Courts have facilitated settling of these cases objectively not
subjectively and fairly listening to parties involved in violence. In order to reduce the burden of
42
violence on individuals and communities, action must move beyond providing services,
detecting violence, and punishing perpetrators. Creative solutions must be found to address the
underlying societal conditions that lead people to believe that violence is a reasonable
alternative” (Bruntland in Health and Human Rights,2003).

2.12.3 Role of Government Agencies

The government has not kept a deaf ear the study came out with 11% role of the government in
fighting GBV. The study confirmed that government agencies like local councils, community
development officers, police (squad three; that mainly deals with GBV) at police stations,
probation offices, and local defense units (LDU) have been vital in handling such cases.
Nyakayojo sub-county’s leadership has been non-tolerant to GBV with the support of the sub-
county’s chairperson. The study’s interaction with the police ascertained that more two GBV-
related cases are reported daily and handled with great care. The government has also done some
effort to finance women groups and projects through community driven development (CDD),
NAADS, SACCOs and other programs. Poverty and property ownership plus constraints to meet
basic needs being a significant cause of GBV have been dealt with and other cases that arise are
also negotiated.

2.12.4 Education
The cases of GBV have been tackled through empowering women through education. The study
confirmed this measure by 10% with the introduction of UPE and USE, enrolment of girl
children in all institutions of learning and schools has increased. It is believed that this problem
has gradually reduced with the education and empowering of girls through education. Again
children in school are oriented on ensuring a violent free environment for harmonious living
more especially to those of different sex. Though education, children are able to understanding
the repercussion of GBV as they advance through their education career. The government
through funding of education has also reduced the burden that parent had been having. As noted
by the World Health Organization, the strongest evidence of effectiveness for the primary
prevention of GBV is with respect to school-based programs to prevent violence within
adolescents’ dating relationships. Such programs, however, have not been sufficiently evaluated
in resource-poor settings and cannot be expected, in any case, to be effective as isolated
strategies (WHO, 2011).

43
2.12.5 Workshops and role of church
Ensuring love, trust and respect for one another in marriage has been advocated. The study found
out that was effective at 8% and majority of this effort was by church leaders and organisation
like mothers unions, organizing workshops for married couples to minimize on the quarrels that
that were calling for GBV.

2.12.6 Starting up self-help projects

Prevalence of GBV in families has been minimized 7% by starting up self-help project where
women don’t entirely rely on their husbands’ income for survival and entire family’s survival.
Projects like retail shops which are jointly owned, fruit gardening and piggery projects have been
initiated under consensual agreement of the couple to take care of these projects jointly.

Additional promising primary prevention strategies are emerging, including microfinance

combined with gender equality training; promotion of communication and relationship skills
within communities; reducing access to alcohol; alcohol harm reduction; and changing cultural
gender norms (WHO, 2011).

2.12.7 Encouraging Monogamous Relationships

Encouraging monogamous families has been identified as one of the initiatives to reduce GBV.
The study identified that this was efficient by 5%, as most violence cases are blamed to
burdening oneself with many families to the extent of failure to meet all the needs of the many
families. The study again found out that monogamous families had petty GBV cases.

2.12.8 Media
The role played by the media that is through publishing relevant articles that condemn GBV as a
bad act in the society and publishing relevant data that is presented to different committees that
fight against GBV for review and intervention. The condemning of GBV through radio and TV
programs like Nyamunyonyi program on radio west every Saturday at 7:00am, NTV men on
NTV every Wednesday, and late night program on radio west that addresses family issues. This
has helped men and women to understand matters that affected their stay together.

Political leaders’ mass awareness campaigns on the effects of GBV in families. This awareness
has been done at public functions where many people converge like at funeral rites, parties and

44
other important gathering. “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign”
starting November 25th: International day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,
ending December 10th Human Rights Day The role of media in fighting GBV in light of UNSCR
Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security", December 6-8, 2012 (Tribune News Service
Report, 30 March 2010). While reporting on crimes against women, especially in public places, a
point that bothers most journalists is the absence of community support. In fact, there are clear
instances where the community itself participates actively in the crime (The Telegraph “The
Tribune”, March 2006).

2.12.9 Creating Fear on Perpetuators

Creating fear within individuals by the government and other organizations has also helping in
reducing GBV. The government has been influential in combating GBV and its efforts have
created fear in individuals thus desisting from committing GBV due to the fear of being
persecuted.

2.12.10 Response units for reporting GBV cases

People now know where to report for rescue in case violence aroused with police post scattered
all over the country and at least nearer to the people. Community based organizations have also
shown their interest in addressing the matter through advocacy. The study found out that GBV-
units have been put in place to treat and help in counseling the victims of GBV. However, this
was applicably in large health centers and hospitals.

2.13 Challenges Associated with Measures to Mitigate GBV

The study explored the measures put in place to combat GBV, however these measures were
surrounded by so many challenges that made it difficult to curb down GBV in Nyakayojo sub
County. These challenges were: 28% corruption, 22% reluctance on reporting, 14%
unimplemented policies, 12% rigid culture, 8% limited sensitization, 8% ignorance and 7% poor
monitoring.

2.13.1 Corruption
The study found out that the major setback that challenged the mitigation of GBV was corruption
tendencies. After the reports released by different organizations ranking the police as the most
45
corrupt governmental unit, its effort to address GBV has been compromised leaving loopholes in
implementation of effective policies to address GBV. The study found out that victims of GBV
were spending on the police to run after their cases or else leave them to suffer continuously.
However, the O.C police station Nyakayojo sub-county said that they do not extract any single
coin from victims to handle their cases. This was evidences while handling a GBV case from
Kicwamba parish, where the victim wanted compensation from the husband on the expenses that
she had incurred in reporting and running the case to be solved. The police officer asked her to
account for the much compensation (100.000/=) she wanted which she claimed to have spent yet
the police officer didn’t take any money from her. But this could not be over relied on as evident
enough to say that there was no corruption. Not only in police, local councils (LC’s) have also
been identified as corrupt whereby they are said to be “selling stamps” in case they are to
forward ones case further. It was documented that LC’s were “selling stamps” at a cost of 5.000-
10.000/= depending on the magnitude of the case.

2.13.2 Reluctance on reporting

Reluctance of the victims on reporting GBV cases to the authorities. Much as the study
confirmed the big turn up of the victims to report these cases that is on average two victims
reporting daily at the sub-county level, the authorities argued that a large number of them are not
reported to them. The respondents argued that it was not worth reporting the husband for family
matters. They also argued that it was expensive and costly end even burdening since it required
continuous follow up all the time while others said it was creation of more problems than the
already existing problems.

One of the respondents noted that; “I would rather go back to my parents’ home than reporting
my husband and seeing him in cells constantly again it means when he comes back quarrels will
crop up. Sometimes these quarrels are handled but violence comes back in another form in this
case revenging from having tortured him directly by being put in cells or prison. Reaching all
that far was it costly and I am refunded for such costs after resolving and negotiating the case.
In most cases we are even insulted for reporting our husbands on GBV cases that this is always
our privacy among the couple and should not be exposed to the public. We are again undermined
as sometimes blamed that we call for this violence onto ourselves” (Field data; FGD, Kicwamba
parish)

46
2.13.3 Unimplemented policies
The study again found out that policies that put in place always remained on paper but not
practically implemented. The policies if sometimes implemented were not followed by heavy
penalties to teach the perpetuators a good lesson to realize that it was bad to violence on their
partners. Respondents argued that policies are not strict according to the magnitude of GBV and
its negative effects on the victims.

2.13.4 Culture
Culture still held that men are supreme and that their actions are always judged right. That in
case of a wrong, correcting it was not violence onto the partner. This made violence a normal
routine and part of life for women. There are men who believe that they can be cured of AIDS if
they had sex with virgin and also hat some men believe that they could get rich if they had sex
with their daughters on recommendation from a traditional healer (Bisika, Ntata and Konyani,
2008). In most cases, victims of GBV are accused of calling this violence themselves, more
especially in cases of disrespect which their culture condemns. In case a woman is violenced
against by the husband, the entire communities support the cause for violence majorly as a sign
of respect. Boys are taught at home, in school, and in the community that their primary
responsibility will be to marry and support a family (Dunne, 2005), But if they can’t manage
this, resorting to violence bases on the culture practices to maintain supreme power makes it
harder to combat GBV.

2.13.5 Limited Sensitization and Ignorance

Sensitization and community policing have not reached the grass root and again the policies
talked about or measures are biased and only favor women at the expense of men who also
experience GBV. Ignorance among the populace was also found to be a challenge to reduce
GBV. Much as the study shown high education levels in Nyakayojo sub-county another portion
of the population has remained ignorant and not educated. As the saying goes “common sense is
not to all” even those who are educated enough behaved ignorantly towards GBV and GBV
cases were so high in such families.

The couples have failed to understand each other in order to reduce GBV. There was a need for
collective effort in order to negotiate such family issues. In case the couple could not desist from

47
the major causes of violence in their homes like poverty, alcoholism, polygamy and other causes
then violence will not cease in families.

2.13.6 Limited monitoring of individual behavior

The church leaders narrated that much as they helped in counseling the couples, they failed to
monitor well what was proceeding afterwards. This was a challenge on monitoring how well the
organizations were influential in combating GBV. This required a self-analysis in trying to
overcome such challenges and imploring the couple to always take the pieces of counseling
seriously.

48
 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter basing on the study finding drew conclusions, recommendations and further areas
for research that the researcher highlighted in regard to the study.

3.1 CONCLUSIONS
Basing on the study finding, it was concluded that GBV was prevalent in Nyakayojo because
women have been economically empowered much as high levels of poverty was also an
attributing factor much as there were other factors attributed to its high prevalence like alcohol
consumption and drug abuse, polygamy, rumors among others. The study realized a gradual
increase of violence as women began gaining empowerment. In its initial stages, violence was
minimal while after women reaching the top, they even violence on their husbands to prove their
empowerment.

The study concluded that the effects of GBV were a hindrance to women’s economic
empowerment as it jeopardized the progress of their activities, proved costly to take care of
survivors of GBV, creating unfavorable investment climate, among other negative effects. This
was responsible for the high levels of violence manifested in the area. The study concluded that
most of the cases related to GBV were not reported as the victims feared for further spread or
increase in violence afterwards. The victims said they were not secured in any way after settling
such cases in courts and at the police, which they concluded that it was putting their life at stake.

In some families, there was transparency and accountability and the couple worked together to
achieve empowerment as the family not as individuals. Practices of reporting the successfulness
of doing any economic activity was to some extent evident and explanation was always given in
case of a mishap. This was important in ensuring harmonious relationship free of violence.
Therefore this empowerment would be more relevant if it based itself on the family setting than
to women as individuals in a family. Much as measures like sensitization, educating women,
strengthening institutions, starting up self-help projects, workshops among have been put in
place, prevalence of GBV is still high as these measures are challenged by corruption, low
response of the victims to report the cases, unimplemented policies and poor monitoring.

49
3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
There is a need to respect human rights as violence is regarded as the violation of women’s rights
as human beings yet they deserve those rights. Efforts to reduce GBV should be based on the
evaluation of all by-laws put in place and involve both men and women to participate in decision
making to ensure compliance to these by-laws and policies to ensure family welfare and
development. The government should ensure effectiveness of the laws to protect women more
especially after settling all the conflicts that disrupt their family at police station or in courts.
After thorough conduct of the study, women fear reporting their husbands sometimes due to fear
for being threatened of harmed. Laws to ensure their maximum protection should be put in place.

The government still needs to sensitize the masses on the negative impact of GBV so that they
can learn from their own experiences. The government needs to understand the root causes of
GBV and deal with them as required. A need to carefully listen to both parties in a violent
situation is essential. Much should be put in mind that violence affects both men and women.
The research recommended that men who experience violence should not sit on it they should as
well report it and be dealt with.

Women should understand that gaining empowerment is not an end of the relationship with the
husband and doesn’t call for disrespecting the husband. Therefore she should give him due
respect and always negotiate that arise amicably. Continuous counseling should be availed to
families. This should reach the family level than community since some issues are feared to be
discussed in public. Documentation of such cases should be ensured to give proper records and
statistics to researchers.

3.3 Further areas for research

The study forwarded other areas of exploration for research in case other researchers are
interested in having their studies in the same area in a related study. These studies included; The
role of the local council chairpersons in fighting against GBV, prevalence of GBV in
polygamous families, increased GBV in households of highly educated partners, role of media in
the fight against violence and prevalence of GBV in men, whether its causes are different from
those of women.

50
REFERENCES

Andrea Connell (2005), Readings in Gender in Africa, North America, Indiana University Press

Beth Vann (2002), Gender-Based Violence. Emerging Issues in Programs Serving Displaced

Bisika,T., Ntata,P. &Konyani,S.(2008).Violence against girls and education in Malawi. Journal

of Gender Studies.
Eyben, R et al (2008), Conceptualizing empowerment and the implications for pro-poor growth,

Garcia-Moreno et al (2005), WHO Multi-Country Survey on Women’s Health and Domestic

Violence Against Women, WHO

Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, Brighton.

Populations.

Gertrude Kabwazi (2010), Presentation on Poverty, Hunger and Gender Based Violence – The
Malawi Context, National Gender Coordinator-Concern Universal Malawi, Dublin June 2010

ICRW (2009), Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Household and

Communities.Washington, DC: International Centre for Research on Women

Interagency gender working group of USAID(2002), Washington DC

 Irish Aid (2010), Overcoming Barriers and Accelerating Progress to achieve MDG5 - Outcome

Document, Commission on the Status of Women Side Event on Maternal Mortality, 5 March
2010. Irish Aid, Limerick.

Jeanne ward (2006), If Not Now, When? Addressing Gender Based Violence in Refugee and
Internally Displaced and Post Conflict Setting, New York, The Reproductive Health in Conflict
Consortium

Jewkes.R.K, et al (2004), Sexual Violence Against Intimate Partners in Cape Town, South Africa:
Prevalence and Risk Factor Reported by Men, Bullet of the WHO

Judy A. Benjamin & Lynn Murchison (2004.), Gender-Based Violence: Care & Protection of
Children in Emergencies, A Field Guide, Save the Children.

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Kabeer, N. (2009), “Pathways of Women's Empowerment”, IDS, Brighton in DFID’s Agenda
2010 – The turning point on poverty: background paper on gender
Krug, E.G, Dahlberg, L.L., Mercy, JA, ZwiS, AB, Lozano, R., (2002). World Report on
Violence Chapter 4, Violence by Intimate Partners, World Health Organization: Geneva.

OECD (2010), Accelerating progress towards the MDGs through pro-poor growth: policy
messages from the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction, OECD, Paris.

Subramanian, (2000) Gender Based Violence in Homes of Developing Countries Fountain

Publishers Evans Brothers limited.

Sweden, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (2010), On equal footing: policy for gender equality and
the rights and role of women in Sweden’s international development cooperation 2010–
2015,MfA, Stockholm.

The police crime report (2008), Kampala Uganda

UN. 2005. Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes And
Consequences Yakin Erturk, Integration of the human rights of women and the gender
perspective: violence against women. Intersections of violence against women and HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS (2003), AIDS Epidemic Update- December 2003, New York

UNFPA (2005), State of World Population Report, United Nations Population Fund, New York

United Kingdom Department for International Development (2010), Agenda 2010 - The turning
point on poverty: background paper on gender, UK

United Nations Development Fund for Women (2003), Not A Minute More: Ending Violence
Against Women

UNRISD (United Nations Research Institute for Social Development) (2010), Why Care Matters
for Social Development, UNRISD Research and Policy Brief 9, UNRISD, Geneva.

WFP, 2007. Intersections of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS: Case Studies in
the DRC, Liberia, Uganda and Colombia, by A. Michels, Rome. p.18-19.

World Health organization (2005), World Report on Violence and Health, Geneva Switzerland,
WHO

52
Internet sources

http://eycb.coe.int/gendermatters/chapter accessed on 19th Sept, 2012 at 12:20pm

 http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_36_4_07.pdf accessed on 30th Oct, 2012 at 01:05pm

 www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/english/ch7/ accessed on 20th Sept, 2012 at 10:00am  

53
APPENDIX I: Questionnaire for women

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Dear respondent, I am JUSTUS ASASIRA a student of Mbarara University of Science and

Technology pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in development studies and currently conducting an
academic research on “Gender Based Violence and women’s economic empowerment” in
Nyakayojo sub-county, Mbarara district. I humbly request you to offer me a few minutes of
your time to fill this questionnaire with relevant information as may be required. Please the
information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality and used for academic
purposes only.

Section A

1. Name (optional) ……………………………………………………………………….

2. Gender

54
 A) Male B) Female

3. Age bracket

A) 25-25 D) 46-55
B) 26-35 E) 56 +
C) 36-45

4. Marital status

a) Married d) Divorced
b) Single e) Separated
c) Widow

5. Level of education

a) never attended school d) Tertiary or university

b) primary e) Adult education
c) secondary

6. Occupation
A) Peasant
B) Civil servant
C) Working with an NGO
D) Business
SECTION B
7. What economic activities do you engage yourself in to earn a living?
8. Are these activities of your own effort alone?
9. How do these activities benefit you? How do they contribute to your welfare?
10. How does the entire family benefit from your sweat?
11. How does your husband help you in achieving this kind of empowerment?
12. Do you participate in women empowerment groups?
(a) Yes

55
 (b) No
13. How have these groups helped you in being empowered economically?
14. What problems have you faced with your customers of being a woman?
15. How do you cope with such problems?
16. Do you own these resources alone after accumulation?
17. How do you relate with your husband with all these resources that u have accumulated?
18. Have you found challenges with owning these resources because you are a woman?
19. How do you overcome them?
20. How has the government helped you overcome these challenges?
21. Are there policies to address this concern in your community?
22. How effective are these policies in addressing Gender Based Violence?
23. What do you think is still lacking in these policies?
24. Why have these persisted in your community?

Thank you.

APENDIX II: Questionnaire for men

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Dear respondent, I am JUSTUS ASASIRA a student of Mbarara University of Science and

Technology pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in development studies and currently conducting an
academic research on “Gender Based Violence and women’s economic empowerment” in

56
Nyakayojo sub-county, Mbarara district. I humbly request you to offer me a few minutes of
your time to fill this questionnaire with relevant information as may be required. Please the
information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality and used for academic
purposes only

Section A

1. Name (optional)………………………………………………………………………

2. Gender
a) Male
b) Female
3. Age bracket

a) 25-25 d) 46-55
b) 26-35 e) 56- above
c) 36-45

4. Marital status

a) Married
b) Single
c) Widow
d) Divorced
e) Separated

57
 5. Education levels
a) never attended school
b) primary
c) secondary
d) Tertiary or university
e) Adult education

6. Occupation
a) Peasant
b) Civil servant
c) Working with an NGO
d) Business

SECTION B

1. Do you realize the need to have a wife?

2. Does she contribute to your welfare?
3. What economic activities do they do to have the family welfare improved?
4. Is women’s economic empowerment of any use to the family?
5. Do you allow your spouse to do their own economic activities to empower
themselves?
6. Is it a factor contributing to misunderstandings in your family occurrence in
families?
7. What other factors lead to misunderstandings in your family and your
community?
8. What do they contribute to the family’s welfare after gaining empowerment?
9. Has the government been of help in fighting against misunderstandings in your
family? How?
10. Where do you think the government still needs to put much emphasis to have total
curb down of misunderstandings in your family?
11. Why has the problem persisted in your community?

58
 12. Comment

APENDIX III: Interview guide for NGOs and local leaders

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Dear respondent, I am JUSTUS ASASIRA a student of Mbarara University of Science and

Technology pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in development studies and currently conducting an
academic research on “Gender Based Violence and women’s economic empowerment” in
Nyakayojo sub-county, Mbarara district. I humbly request you to offer me a few minutes of
your time to fill this questionnaire with relevant information as may be required. Please the
information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality and used for academic
purposes only.

1. What are the common forms of GBV in the communities you serve?
2. What are the causes of GBV in those communities?
3. Are the cases reported to you and other various stakeholders?
4. What is the trend of GBV in this area?
5. Have these trends had an impact on women’s economic empowerment?
6. Are there policies to deal with the perpetrators of GBV at this level?
7. How applicable are those policies?
8. Are there weaknesses in these policies?
9. What do you think should be done normalize the situation?

Thank you.

59
APENDIX III: interview guide for Religious leaders

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Dear respondent, I am JUSTUS ASASIRA a student of Mbarara University of Science and

Technology pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in development studies and currently conducting an
academic research on “Gender Based Violence and women’s economic empowerment” in
Nyakayojo sub-county, Mbarara district. I humbly request you to offer me a few minutes of
your time to fill this questionnaire with relevant information as may be required. Please the
information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality and used for academic
purposes only

1. What are the common forms of GBV that surround your people?
2. What are the causes of GBV in this community?
3. How has the church been the cause for such problems?
4. Are these cases of GBV of an impact to the church?
5. Are there policies in church that help in addressing this issue?
6. What weaknesses are embedded in these policies?
7. Whom do you think should take up such a role in addressing GBV in this
community?

60
APENDIX IV: Focus Group Discussion Guide

MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Dear respondent, I am JUSTUS ASASIRA a student of Mbarara University of Science and

Technology pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in development studies and currently conducting an
academic research on “Gender Based Violence and women’s economic empowerment” in
Nyakayojo sub-county, Mbarara district. I humbly request you to offer me a few minutes of
your time to fill this questionnaire with relevant information as may be required. Please the
information provided will be treated with high level of confidentiality and used for academic
purposes only

1. What are the common forms of GBV in this community?

2. What are the causes of GBV in your communities?
3. Do you report these cases to various stakeholders in case you are experienced with GBV?
4. What is the trend of GBV in this area?
5. Have these trends had an impact on women’s economic empowerment?
6. Are there policies to deal with the perpetrators of GBV?
7. How applicable are those policies?
8. Are there weaknesses in these policies?
9. What do you think should be done normalize the situation?

61