SRSG-VAC Santos Pais welcomes Government of Uganda launch of comprehensive national survey on violence against children

New York, 9 August 2018 – SRSG-VAC Marta Santos Pais welcomed Uganda’s historic launch of its first comprehensive national survey on physical, sexual and emotional violence against children, adolescents and youth, led by the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda.

“I am deeply encouraged by the determination of the Government of Uganda to address violence against children by conducting this detailed national survey, and by committing to use its findings to inform actions to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against girls and boys. This will help to strengthen Uganda’s national child protection system and it constitutes a key step towards the elimination of all forms of violence against children by 2030, as required by the Sustainable Development Agenda,” said SRSG Santos Pais.

According to the survey:

• Both girls and boys experience very high rates of physical and sexual violence below the age of 18
• Incidents of violence most frequently occur in familiar locations, with over 50% of the abuses taking place in the home of the victim or the perpetrator.

“The Uganda survey is an excellent example of how data and evidence can help break the silence surrounding violence and break down barriers that prevent victims from speaking up and claiming their right to services and justice,” said SRSG Santos Pais. “By conducting this survey and developing the response plan, the Government of Uganda now has a rich set of baseline data which can be used to monitor progress over time to bring violence against children to an end.”

“I hope that Uganda’s excellent experience will be shared with other countries, including through its national reporting to the High Level Political Forum on implementation of the 2030 Agenda,” concluded SRSG Santos Pais.

Full Uganda VACS Report: http://www.togetherforgirls.org/wp-content/uploads/VACS-REPORT-FINAL-LORES-2-1.pdf 

One-page Summary of Uganda VACS Data: http://www.togetherforgirls.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-8-2-TFG-Uganda.pdf