Action for Development
(ACFODE), an indigenous, voluntary, non-governmental women’s organization with
support from EIRENE paid a visit to Luzira women's prison on 14th
December 14, 2012. The visit, which was part of the broader theme for the
annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, aimed at promoting solidarity
for harmonious existence and peace by connecting with the female inmates
through the sharing of in-kind donations and a verbal message of hope.
ACFODE Chair Person Gertrude Ssekabira
hands over donations to some of the female inmates at Luzira prisons
In
collaboration with various women leaders, human and women right activists,
corporate companies, representatives from civil society and development partners,
ACFODE donated a number of basic necessities to the
female inmates, including; bathing/washing soap, sanitary
pads, cotton wool, and toilet tissue, toothpaste, teeth brushes and Vaseline
among others..
Backed by the statutes
in gender sensitive laws such as "The Prisons Act 2006" which
outlines the rights and privileges of female prison inmates to special care for
their specific reproductive needs, for instance, the right to healthier meals
for pregnant and breast feeding female inmates, the visit further sought to challenge
the current dire circumstances faced by Uganda's female prison inmates who live
in overwhelmingly poor conditions, and also lack basic necessities.
A Representative
from Mukwano Group of Companies handing over some of their donations to the
female inmates
The donations, which were handed over to the inmates by the ACFODE
Chair Person Gertrude Ssekabira, Executive Director Regina Bafaki and partner
organization representatives were warmly received by the prison ward who
remarked that the gifts received were timely and relevant to their needs. She
added that, "These are the women inmates; some of them are guilty, some of
them are innocent, but they are all reformed."
A message of hope was also delivered to the inmates by Ms. Betty
Byanyima, a women's rights activist, who urged the inmates to be optimistic
about their future, take advantage of their opportunities while in prison to
further their education and skills, and be a source of positive energy to those
around them. She said, "You should go back to school within the prison or
learn some new economic skills from each other so that when the time comes for
you to go back into society, you can make a positive difference."
The ladies drew further encouragement from the
ACFODE Chair Person, who emphasized in her speech that each of the women
inmates deserved and would be given a second chance to correct all their past
mistakes. She urged the women to seek peace while in their current situation for
the sake of societal improvement, saying "when you give peace to a woman,
you give peace to her children, her family and to the nation."
Members of the delegation carrying some
of the donations to the vehicle before departure
In light of the successful interactive activity,
ACFODE has gained better insight into the magnitude of the needs of the female
inmates at Luzira prisons, and therefore calls on the government of Uganda to:
- Fulfill international commitments
government has made by ratifying different regional and international
conventions such as The UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and
Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (2010) and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (2008), which outline the rights of women prisoners.
- Operationalize the specific needs of
the women prisoners stipulated in the Uganda Prisons Act 2006.
- Step up funding for the national
prisons budget to ensure conditions consistent with international standards set
in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners, and provide
sufficient provision for female prisoners' special reproductive needs.
- Implement commitments made in existing
legislative measures that protect the lives of people especially the vulnerable
like women; for instance The Domestic Violence Act 3 (2010), Penal Code
amendments prohibiting defilement of girls and boys (2007), and the Equal
Opportunities Commission Act (2007).
We also
call upon the Uganda Prisons System to:
- Implement
the sections that uphold the special reproductive needs of female prisoners,
enshrined in policies such as; The Prisons Act 2006.
- Ensure
access to prenatal, postnatal, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission
of HIV (PMTCT) services and address the nutritional needs of pregnant women and
breastfeeding mothers.
We call upon women leaders, human and women right
activists, representatives from civil society, media and other key stakeholders to:
- Spearhead advocacy
efforts against abuse of female prisoners, and provide support to
supplement on the existing government efforts.
- Lobby for the provision
of legal services to the vulnerable who are prone to fall victim to the
fallible legal system, winding up in jail without genuine cause.
- Popularize the
Prisons Act 2006 with more emphasis on the provisions that promote the
well-being of women prisoners in Uganda.
