Survivors Unite to launch the National Network to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Uganda

By Darlington Mabonga

Against the backdrop of persistently high prevalence levels of gender‑based violence (GBV) in Uganda, survivors are coming together under a unified national platform to advocate for access to justice, protection, and dignity for women and children.

With support from International Justice Mission (IJM), survivors will on June 18, 2026 formally launch the Uganda Survivor Network (USN)—a nationwide movement designed to amplify survivor voices, strengthen peer support, and promote survivor‑led advocacy and leadership.

Ahead of the national launch, survivors in Kampala and Wakiso districts will convene on April 28, 2026 to unveil the Central Uganda chapter, while another regional chapter will be launched in Karamoja on May 5. These milestones build on earlier regional survivor networks established with IJM support in Northern Uganda (The Northern Giants), Western Uganda (Rwenzori Empowered Women), and Eastern Uganda (Tororo United Champions) in 2022.

Together these chapters form the foundation of a unified national survivor platform—bringing together survivor leaders from across the country to collectively address violence and injustice.

The Uganda Survivor Network is designed to place survivors at the center of the response to violence. Through USN, survivors will engage in peer‑to‑peer support, economic empowerment initiatives, advocacy, and leadership development, while strengthening collaboration across regions.

By connecting survivor chapters under one national umbrella, USN aims to enhance coordination, influence policy, and drive systemic change to ensure justice and protection for vulnerable women and children. The national launch will feature inspiring survivor testimonies, speeches from justice system agencies and what needs to be done to end violence.

The establishment of USN marks a powerful step toward building a resilient, survivor‑driven movement.

Speaking about the planned launch, Irene Arach, a Community Engagement Specialist at IJM, emphasized the critical role survivors play in addressing gender‑based violence.

“Survivors are uniquely positioned to lead the movement to protect women and children from violence in their own communities. They bring powerful experiences and expertise. Survivors understand the nature and magnitude of GBV, the harmful norms and practices that allow it to persist, and the solutions required to stop it,” she said.

Her remarks come as new data continues to reveal both the scale of violence and significant gaps in access to justice for survivors.

Findings from IJM Uganda’s Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Baseline Assessment, conducted between August 2023 and September 2024 by the International Research Consortium (IRC), paint a sobering picture of violence in Uganda.

The study assessed four critical protection domains:

Prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence against children (SVAC)

Survivor reliance on the criminal justice system

Stakeholder confidence in justice institutions

Performance of criminal justice agencies in handling cases

Key Findings:

Prevalence of Violence:

Intimate Partner Violence: Nearly 3 in 5 women (55%) who have ever been partnered have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. 30.3% experienced IPV in the past 12 months.

Sexual Violence Against Children: Almost 3 in 5 children (58.6%) have experienced sexual abuse in their lifetime. Girls are disproportionately affected, with 77% experiencing abuse compared to 24% of boys. Most cases involve close relatives or trusted individuals.

Low Reporting and Limited Justice Access:

72% of incidents of physical and sexual violence against women go unreported.

Only 12% of cases are reported to criminal justice agencies, while 16% are reported to non‑justice actors.

Barriers to reporting include stigma, fear of retaliation, normalization of abuse, and low trust in the justice system.

Justice System Confidence and Performance:

Only 18% of justice stakeholders expressed confidence in the criminal justice system’s effectiveness.

Just 6% had confidence in the entire justice chain—from police to courts.

Nearly half of reviewed IPV and SVAC cases were closed or became inactive due to interference, bribery, or informal settlements.

While 98% of reviewed cases resulted in arrests, only 24% of survivors reported trauma‑informed engagement during justice processes.

In a press statement about the findings, Wamaitha Kimani, IJM Uganda Country Director, emphasized the urgency of reform.

“These are not just numbers. They represent the real‑life experiences of women and children in our homes and communities. This baseline study is telling us that we must urgently work together to ensure the justice system is responsive, trusted, and accessible—so survivors can seek help and find justice.”

Lillian Acen, a member of the Uganda Survivor Network, called on criminal justice agencies to uphold their mandate to protect women and children.

“We want police stations equipped so survivors are not asked for money to photocopy forms or fuel investigations. We want medical personnel available. We want perpetrators arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned. Cases should be concluded within three to six months. Delayed justice puts lives at risk,” she said.

Acen also urged authorities to prioritize trauma‑informed care, community dialogues, and rights awareness to encourage reporting and prevent violence at the household level.

The report recommends proactive, collaborative action among justice institutions, civil society, faith and cultural leaders, local governments, and communities to reduce violence and remove barriers to justice.

Kimani underscored the importance of political will:

“When the state publicly demonstrates commitment to addressing GBV, the gap between the law and harmful social norms narrows. Justice must be visible. Budget decisions should reflect the high economic and social cost of violence.