uganda

Despite pushback from the LGBTQIA+ communities and human rights bodies around the world, Uganda has passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that puts the safety of LGBTQIA+ folks' at risk in the country by institutionalising discrimination against them. In this piece, the writers comment on this draconian law and its impact on those already living on the margins.

The word “internet” is not well understood in its full and wholesome context by a size-able number of Ugandans and perhaps the majority. Smart phone usage has grown tremendously and with it the gospel of this thing called the internet. Of course with smart phones come the popularisation of social media and the applications that simplify internet use and access. It would seem that internet…

Ahead of the launch of our Women’s Rights Online research, this series of guest blogs features on-the-ground perspectives from each of our research partners around the world. In this post, Irene Murungi, Gender Policy Officer at Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), talks about why it’s important to get more Ugandan women online and involved in internet policy debates.

The incident involving the prime minister highlights why there is growing concern over the governance and regulation of communication surveillance, and how it is being used to infringe on one’s right to privacy in Uganda. Because this case affected a high-ranking Ugandan official, the question is, how safe is the ordinary Ugandan? And from a gender activist perspective, what are the gender…

One month after Nigeria's president signed into law a harsh law criminalising sexual minorities, Uganda has followed suit by signing it's own “anti-gay”, as dubbed by the media, bill. Joining Tanzania, Mauritania, Sudan and Sierra Leone, Uganda and Nigeria have join the club of countries in the continent where the LGBT is criminalise under the harshest sentences: offenders can receive life…

The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) has expressed deep concern regarding the safety of five staff from the Uganda sex worker organization, Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA). On May 7, police authorities raided WONETHA's small office and arrested two staff and three members. The staff members face ongoing harassment and criminal…

“Sex work may be illegal in Uganda, but providing services for sex workers is clearly not,” reads a statement put out on May 9 by WONETHA, a health and human rights organisation, in reaction to a serious crack-down on its activities by Ugandan municipal police.

Harriet Musoke presents the work of Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) and their approach to technology in addressing violence in post-conflict situation. Isis-WICCE is one of more than sixty groups funded by 'Take Back the Tech! small grants' fund, and using information technologies in their work to end violence against women. This presentation was part of the "…

Aramanzan Madanda, Berna Ngolobe and Goretti Zavuga Amuriat look at how ICTs have been used to help provide spaces for women and sexual minorities. Sexual minorities have a presence on the internet to articulate concerns of members and raise awareness. Women’s mobile phone use is controlled by their husbands, who either give or withold permission to use and dictate when and how. Some women have…