The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Reach A Hand Uganda, together with partners FIDA Uganda and the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), held a National Gender Justice Dialogue at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala, to mark the close of the Generation Gender (Gen G) project.
Themed “Reflecting on Progress, Advancing Gender Justice: Amplifying Voices for Change”, the dialogue on 7th August 2025, provided a platform to assess Uganda’s progress on gender equality and review the project’s contribution towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
Officiated by the Dutch Ambassador to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel, the event brought together government officials, civil society leaders, young advocates, and community representatives.
“Today’s event is not the end of a project—it is the celebration of a powerful movement that has placed youth, justice, and gender equality at the heart of social transformation,” said Ambassador Quispel. “We are immensely proud to have supported this bold, transformative initiative rooted in the belief that a gender-just and violence-free society is not only possible but urgent and necessary.”
The Dutch government funded the project through its Dialogue & Dissent programme, channelled via Rutgers International and Sonke Gender Justice. The partnership leveraged the expertise of each implementing organization.
Implemented between 2021 and 2025 in six districts—Kapchorwa, Bukwo, Namutumba, Adjumani, Iganga, and Tororo—the Generation Gender project mobilised young people, women, men, and institutions to challenge injustice, harmful cultural practices, and silence around gender-based violence (GBV).
Achievements
The project saw youth-led GBV awareness campaigns that improved reporting rates and increased community knowledge on access to justice and legal reforms, such as amending the Sapiny Cultural Constitution to include women and youth representation.
Establishment of Youth-Friendly Corners in hospitals for confidential GBV reporting and sexual and reproductive health services.
There was advocacy that extended working hours at Health Centre IIIs, ensuring survivors could access services beyond regular hours plus targeted support for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and other marginalised groups.
“From six districts, the project has built a movement rooted in shared learning, strong partnerships, and meaningful youth participation for a gender-just and violence-free society,” said FIDA Uganda Executive Director, Lillian Adriko. “Our goal is clear—to turn commitments into lived realities by amplifying young voices, influencing policy, and ensuring gender justice is not just promised but practiced.”
