According to the 2022 Uganda Police Annual Crime report, there were a total of 12,780 cases of defilement, with girls comprising 12,740 of the victims.
These distressing numbers have led to increased advocacy from various groups.
Tabitha Suubi, who serves as the Program Manager for Violence against Children Prevention at Raising Voices, urges educational institutions to establish protective measures and policies to prevent sexual harassment of children.
“It is very rampant in primary and secondary schools. The ministry of education issued a teachers’ code of conduct but head teachers need to regularly reorient teachers about it. Schools need to create policies around protecting children against sexual violence with in schools and also have vocal points where children feel safe to report and trust them and respond to them,” Suubi noted.
Lillian Nanyonjo, the Principal of St Andrew Kaggwa Gombe High School Kawaala and a parent, acknowledged the presence of sexual violence in schools.
She linked this issue to the heightened exposure children face.
Nanyonjo stated that “we are in an era where children can have access to phones as young as four years old”.
She noted that with this early exposure to technology, they not only become highly influenced but also feel compelled to engage with what they encounter.
“Every school has rules and regulations and their effective implementation is very important. We carry out guidance and counselling sessions on a daily basis. We also hold termly parents’ meetings where we emphasize their role in the general upbringing of their children ,” Nanyonjo noted.
Annah Tethloay, the Head Girl at Crested Crane School of Excellence in Kawaala, emphasizes that the school’s initiatives have significantly aided in combating this issue.
“We have a suggestion box at school where my peers can express their concerns, which our teachers then address. This process encourages us to discuss various troubling issues, including sexual violence,” Tethloay added.
A Social Justice lawyer, Immaculate Owomugisha points out that without effective implementation of existing laws, the prevalence of sexual violence among children, particularly in educational settings, is unlikely to decrease.
“The law is as good as its implementation; we have the Domestic Violence Act which talks about sexual violence against children, the Children’s Act, and the Penal Code Act. If they are well implemented, our children can be safe. Let schools put in place structures that support children to report, but also when the cases are reported, let them be prosecuted and the culprits be brought to book,” Kemigisha noted.
She emphasized that if family structures are lacking, schools must provide the necessary support for the children.
George Mutekanga, the Assistant Commissioner responsible for Private Schools and Institutions at the Ministry of Education and Sports, highlights that this not only impacts the children but the nation as a whole, reiterating the government’s dedication to addressing sexual violence in educational settings.
“As the ministry we have come up with mechanisms of preventing sexual violence in schools by organizing trainings for not only teachers but also for parents and communities. We have developed guidelines on prevention and management of teenage pregnancies in schools, we also came up with guidelines on reporting, tracking, response and referrals,”Mutekanga said.
He stated: “Our primary concern is finding ways to implement discipline beyond just prevention. To address this, we engage in discussions with teachers, and if they are qualified, we have the authority to revoke their teaching license.”
