Men from Sheema district in Southwestern Uganda have broken the silence over continued physical abuse, emotional and verbal tortures by their wives.
This was disclosed on Wednesday during a one day workshop on domestic violence at Senevin Gardens Kabwohe Sheema. The workshop was organized by the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE).
During the workshop, almost every man who stood to make a submission revealed that they were dying under the silence of being physically battered by women calling on authorities to intervene.
Men who say that domestic violence against men is similar to domestic against women stressed that they have endured enough the pains of violence but still fear reporting to the police due to the negative public perceptions.
Elvis Niwagaba, one of the husbands who were at the workshop said that women connive with their children to beat up and torture husbands in families, but sections of women in the audience clamoured saying that the children are also tired of their fathers’ misconduct.
One of the mothers at the workshop identified as Sylvia Tumugabirwe noted that women do not intend to abuse their husbands but are giving light punishments as one way of disciplining them.
Annet Kyomuhendo, the probation officer Sheema district condemned the acts of violence against men imploring victims to walk away from their comfort zones, break the silence and report to authorities.
The district LCV chairperson, Gemmimah Buhanda blamed increased cases of domestic and family violence in the district on women who do not want to take instructions from their husbands.
Sylvia Nankwatsa, the FOWODE field Officer Sheema district pointed out that she believes that by 2023, they will have reduced gender-based violence in Sheema district. She said last year when they came to Sheema, they started in two sub-counties of Kyangyenyi and Rugarama where violence was higher, but that of now, in those two sub-counties, they have registered only 48 gender-based violence in 8 months.
Nankwatsa pledged to extend its services to the remaining 13 Sub counties and town councils before this year ends.
According to the records by the probation and family protection office in the Sheema district, over 19 men have reported cases of domestic violence and abuse by their women between December 2020 and September 2021.
The records further indicate that Six women in Sheema district are suspected to have murdered their husbands in domestic violence.
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