The Nuhanovic Foundation

Reparations Database

Feinstein international centre – Making Gender-Just Remedy and Reparation Possible

YEAR

2023

Country Focus

DOCUMENTS

This detailed and very revealing report is based on in-depth interviews with over 640 victims of serious crimes and their families from the sub-regions of Acholi, Lango, Teso and West Nile in the Greater North of Uganda, conducted by the authors between 2010–2012.

The report reveals how deeply-ingrained discrimination against women and girls in Uganda has affected the extent to which reparatory mechanisms have included and benefitted them.  It considers how factors such as illiteracy, familiarity with a minority language only and the impossibility of travelling, have prevented many women from being registered with authorities or organizations who might reach out to them, and thus from realizing their rights to reparation.

It also examines the alarming extent of the long-term damage done to the prospects of women and girls by sexual violence and exploitation. Beyond terrible physical and psychological scars, their family economies may be radically weakened by the combined effects of their damaged status, extra children (born of rape) to care for, the death or disappearance of their men, and in consequence of their defenseless position, further exploitation or abuse by family or community members.

The report makes numerous recommendations aimed at an effective and gender-sensitive implementation of the right to reparations in this particular context. It can be read or downloaded here.