Women activists under their umbrella body the  Women in Democracy Forum for (FOWODE) have expressed concern over increasing cases of Gender Based Violence, ranking Uganda globally despite progress in advancing gender equality and women’s rights in Uganda.

Joyce Tamale, the FOWODE‘S Board Chairperson, says at least 1 in 5 women aged 15-49 are still reported to have experienced emotional, physical or sexual gender based violence compared to less than 1 in 10 for men.

While addressing journalists ahead of the international women’s day to be celebrated on March 8^th, Tamale also cited discriminatory customary practices in regard to women’s land rights.

She a concerted effort to close such gender parity gaps.

According to UNFPA which focuses on addressing gender-based violence (GBV), harmful social and cultural practices such as child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) that abruptly end the childhood of girls.

The 2016 Uganda Health and Demographic Survey (UDHS), shows that 49% of women between age 20 and 24 years, were married before their 18^th birthday, and 12% before their 15^th birthday. More than 1 in 5 women aged 15-49 have experienced sexual violence at some point in their life compared to men, with less than 1 in 10 (UDHS, 2016).