Government Rolls Out Shs4 Billion Strategy to Close Gaps in Gender-Based Violence Response

The Ugandan government has officially unveiled a five-year, Shs4.02 billion National Multimedia Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence (2026–2031). Launched in Jinja City by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in partnership with UNFPA and the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 Joint Programme, the updated framework replaces an older 2016 strategy.

Previous campaigns often urged survivors to report abuse without verifying whether nearby medical and legal facilities were equipped to help them. The new strategy introduces a district readiness ranking system evaluated through a central Data and Learning Hub. Districts will be categorized into three tiers based on clinical care availability, justice desk staffing, shelter access, helpline functionality, and inter-agency coordination.

Under this tier system, lower-performing districts will focus on prevention and safety, while fully equipped districts will run expanded campaigns encouraging survivors to seek formal support. The government aims to have at least 30 districts elevate their readiness rankings by 2031.

Data highlights the urgency of these interventions, showing that 44 percent of Ugandan women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, alongside thousands of registered defilement cases. Officials also emphasized the need to tackle emerging challenges such as technology-facilitated violence, while expanding outreach to refugees, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities.

Read the full details in the Daily Monitor.