Chief Justice Bart Katureebe today revealed that 6 out of every 10 criminal cases reported in Uganda involve an element of sexual and gender-based violence, with rape and defilement being the most common.
Because of the difficulties involved in the prosecution of such cases, the judiciary is considering the establishment of special courts dedicated to trying cases of sexual and gender-based violence.
The Chief Justice was speaking on Tuesday morning during the Women in Leadership Conference, organized by the Judiciary of Uganda under the theme “the impact of Sexual and Gender-based violence on the girl child and the administration of justice interventions”.
The conference comes in the wake of recent remarks by a member of parliament supporting the practice of men beating their partners, which have caused an outrage.
In her address to the conference, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports emphasized that continued efforts to empower girls are not about fighting men but ending discrimination against women and girls.
Meanwhile, during the conference, eight women and one man were recognized for their efforts towards improving the lives of women.
Its five days since the international women day was celebrated on 8th of March and the women's conference has been focusing on sexual and gender-based violence on girls and hoping that by empowering them with education, violence would come to an end.