Assessing the Relationship between the Increasing Gender-Based Violence against Men in Relation to Women Empowerment in Bugiri Town Council, Bugiri District.

Abstract

NAMUTAMBA BEATRICE (2012-M091-10003) Assessing the Relationship between the Increasing Gender-Based Violence against Men in Relation to Women Empowerment in Bugiri Town Council, Bugiri District. The study was an assessment of the relationship between the increasing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against Men in relation to Women empowerment with three objectives of; identifying forms of women empowerment in Bugiri Town Council, finding out the extent to which women empowerment influences Gender_Based Violence against men in Bugiri Town Council and, identifying better ways of addressing GBV against men in Bugiri Town Council. The research was both qualitative and quantitative where the qualitative approach sought to describe people‟s values, norms, perceptions and understanding based on their opinions as backed up with their experience in the communities and provides explanations for quantitative data because it provided multiple realities with a case study. The data collection methods used were questionnaire method with the aid of questionnaire forms to eighty three residents of Bugiri Town Council selected randomly and the data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data were collected using the interview method with the aid of the interview schedule from thirteen duty bearers purposively selected and the analysis was thematic and comparative. A sample size of ninety six was used to obtain the data with use of both probability and non-probability sampling procedures with the techniques of systematic and purposive sampling respectively. The findings showed that; NGOs have played a very paramount role and function in facilitating women empowerment through women emancipation which takes various forms including social, economic and political for self-reliance, skills, knowledge as they all enhance access to information for informed decisions. Some of the activities and interventions being implemented by the NGOs/CSOs have some impact on GBV against men based on the way duty bearers approach communities during implementation which complement religious and cultural values and beliefs and the social structures of family, school and peers that contribute to the greatest extent thus depression of men. Moreover, there are no organisations directly working with men in protecting them and responding to GBV against them in Bugiri town council. In addition, men fear and are not motivated to seek support and services from duty bearers. It was majorly recommended that; GBV should be addressed with a clear mind set to have strategies benefiting the community holistically; by equally catering for both men and women or boys and girls and reduce the possibility of women empowerment being a likely cause of GBV against men; Empowerment and GBV response packages of the development partners ought to be adjusted to antagonise the cohesion with in family, workplace and community as a whole; Men should also be integrated into the gender discourse to change the socio-cultural structures that give men morepowers which more often pave way for GBV and even establish male centred infrastructures to address men‟s call on GBV inflicted to them in communities; Organisations should specifically be designed to address men‟s concerns to achieve a big turn-up for services and support as it is the case with women‟s organisations. The necessary services for men would facilitate ease in accessing support and services, openness, address denial, destitution and the depressed caused by GBV. Key Words: Relationship, Gender-Based Violence, Men, Women Empowerment, Bugiri District.