Alarming UNFPA Report Reveals High Rates of Spousal Violence in Acholi and Karamoja

A staggering percentage of women across northern and northeastern Uganda continue to face spousal violence, according to findings recently released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Austrian Embassy. Data indicates that 61.3% of women in the Acholi sub-region have experienced spousal violence in their lifetime.

The situation is even more dire in the Karamoja sub-region, where the proportion climbs to 69.2%. Compounding these challenges, four out of ten girls in Karamoja are married before the age of 18, while only 28% of local health facilities are equipped to provide comprehensive clinical management for rape survivors. Meanwhile, the Lango sub-region records a spousal violence rate of 48.6%.

To combat these alarming statistics, Austria has committed €3.2 million (approximately Shs15.45 billion) toward a new 30-month initiative known as the SAFER project. Running from September 2026 to February 2029, the program aims to reach over 800,000 people across Karamoja, Acholi, and Lango by improving sexual and reproductive health services, enhancing access to justice, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Speaking at the project’s launch at JLOS House in Naguru, Kampala, Dr Katja Kerschbaumer, head of the Austrian Embassy, emphasized that these numbers represent real human lives. She noted that gender-based violence extends far beyond physical assault to encompass economic, psychological, emotional, cultural, and technology-facilitated abuse.

UNFPA Country Representative Kristine Blokhus noted that previous interventions yielded positive shifts, such as an increase in reported GBV cases reaching court and a rise in disposed sexual-offence cases. However, she stressed that rights on paper must translate into practical protection, integrating healthcare, psychosocial support, and safety.

Read the original story on the Daily Monitor.