Breaking the chains of financial dependence.
Women in Kween District.
This is Chebet Juliet 48 years, married with six children and she lives in Binyiny town council. Juliet narrates that women in her community are so powerless, have no access to resources and hold a lower status. “In our culture a woman has no say in home but is expected to obey her husband, this would not be a problem, but our husbands take women for granted simply because women are poor and illiterate” she says.
Juliet’s narration is the fate on many women in Sebei region. It was on this basis that ActionAid Uganda through a women economic empowerment initiative mobilized and supported 204 women, organized in 12 groups to challenge the injustices against women.
Juliet is a member of SatKaa saving groups with 17 other members who is currently happy and free from violence because she can meet the basic needs of her family. However, this was the case before the intervention as she narrates.
“Since I got married, I became a housewife who entirely depended on my husband for all my needs. With time I noted that I became a burden to him and the children because every time I asked for to meet the house needs, he started beating me. He would sell all the food I used to grow with the children. I reported the maintenance case at the women protection center. He committed never to beat me again during the mediation but he was not providing for us. The situation got worse when my 16-yeardaughter was defiled, impregnated and the culprit denied responsibility, and so I had to carry the burden. It is at this point in 2019 that I joined the group where ActionAid trained us on business skills and financial literacy."
"They encouraged us to start saving. They also supported our group with farm inputs that included seeds. Using the proceeds from the crops sold, I managed to save UGX. 600,000 which I later used to start a small charcoal selling business. I can get a profit ofUGX80,000 a week. I so happy that I can now meet my family needs, support my husband. My husband now respects me, and we are very happy unlike before when he looked at me as a good for nothing.
I encourage all women to engage in income generating activities and support their families and be liberated from dependence…surely economic empowerment changes lives…”
