From Silence to Action: Strengthening GBV Prevention in Northern and Eastern Uganda

For years, gender-based violence (GBV), child abuse, and land injustices remain hidden across communities in Northern and Eastern Uganda silenced by fear, stigma, and harmful norms. That silence is now being actively challenged through a renewed focus not only on response, but on prevention.

ActionAid International Uganda has long supported survivors through GBV shelter services in both regions, providing safe spaces, care, and pathways to justice. Building on this foundation, the organisation has deepened its investment in prevention by working directly with communities to prevent gender-based violence.

Through integrated awareness campaigns and mobile outreach across Kumi, Katakwi, Gulu, Amuru, and Nwoya, communities came together for open, often difficult conversations about the root causes of violence. Local leaders, police, health workers, legal actors, and community members engaged in dialogue to challenge harmful norms, address power imbalances, and promote respect, shared responsibility, and women’s rights.

These engagements were paired with mobile service delivery bringing health, legal, and psychosocial support closer to communities while strengthening referral systems and early reporting mechanisms. By increasing access to information and services, communities were better equipped to identify risks, respond early, and prevent escalation of abuse.

Encouragingly, the shift was visible. Survivors and witnesses began speaking out, harmful practices were questioned, and community structures showed greater responsiveness to protection concerns. Violence was increasingly recognised not as a private matter, but as a collective responsibility.

While challenges such as stigma and resource gaps remain, the message is clear: prevention is possible when communities are informed, supported, and engaged. Across Northern and Eastern Uganda, ActionAid’s work demonstrates that ending GBV starts with empowering communities to act early, speak out, and stand together.