STOP DENYING WOMEN ACCESS TO PROPERTY, ARUA DISTRICT STAKE HOLDERS WARN MEN

Comfort Letaru, the Community development Officer (CDO) Ajia Sub-County and Coordinator gender activities in Arua district expressing a point during the climax of the 16 days of activism against GBV

By Godwin Abedican
 
Arua
 
Arua district stake holders have voiced concerns over the denial of access to property by women in the events of Gender based violence.
 
This comes after it was discovered that during domestic wrangles and conflicts in many families, women face challenges when it comes to ownership of property and yet they contribute immensely towards the existence of these properties in the families.
 
Comfort Letaru, the Community development Officer (CDO) Ajia Sub-County and Coordinator gender activities in Arua district notes that, women always put their families at forefront as opposed to what most men do but in the event of violence against them and separation, no one appreciates the fact that they are supposed to be entitled to property since they are involved in all domestic activities and care for the children.
 
“When disasters occur, it is the woman who suffers most. She struggles to carry along with her children and a lot of burden. Men do carry burdens, but they will never feel the pain that a woman feels. So, for that there is no need to sideline them incase marriages fail when it comes to ownership and distribution of property,” she said.
 
Meanwhile, according to Ayikobua Henry to the vice chairperson for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the district, the positive living women face the worst of such treatments especially when they become widows.
 
“In most cases when a man dies, he leaves a legacy and property. Unfortunately, this in most cases occurs where there are no wills written about property. People have a mindset that when a partner dies of HIV/AIDS is the other is to blame and this always makes women to become victims. As relatives always target owning properties of the deceased, you find women living with HIV/AIDS are envied and chased away from homes just because they want to have total ownership of what their son had. This is very unfortunate given that the widows sometimes have to take care of orphans yet all that their fathers had are taken away from them,” Ayikobua explained.
 
Hon. Candini Luiji, the Secretary Human Capital Development Community-based Services and Mindset Change in the district raises concerns over the adverse effects of GBV against women based on properties in homes
 
“As the political leadership, we have been facing the challenges of domestic violence in almost all households. It affects development. Because when a man and woman in marriage ae not settled, it affects the education of the children, it affects the social aspects of the society. When a woman is displaced from the marital place, in many cases they are denied their rights of access to property including household properties making them very vulnerable yet sometimes they are forced to move with their children,” Hon. Candini noted.

 
In most communities, norms have continued to limit women from access to land other house hold items during divorce or separation though efforts are currently being fronted for the change of this through enactment of laws and mindset change initiatives