From Where I Stand: Martha Akol

In Karamoja Region, majority of intimate partnerships experience elements of violence, usually related to land. UN Women and the Embassy of Sweden support the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) Legal Officers to mediate these cases. Winnie Agwero supported Martha's case noting an increase in women reporting cases of violence in the remote area, and women seeing a change in their lives as a result.

Date: Thursday, 7 July 2022

In Karamoja land is very important, my husband used to beat me and chase me from our land in Lorengechora Sub County. After three months, I found UN Women and they referred the case to FIDA. I am the first wife, and all was fine, but then he started with alcohol. He would go to the bar, drink local brew, and come back and beat me for no reason. I could not get help anywhere else, until I got to FIDA Uganda's office.

It took four months of counselling, but he has stopped beating me and he is a changed man, the counselling showed him that it was not worth it. Since we sat down [for mediation] he is drinking less, providing for us, he has paid for our children to return to school and contributed money to my business. I have forgiven him, he apologized, he realized what he was doing was wrong. He did not want to go to prison and miss out on life with his family."
  

Thanks to the conducted mediation by UN Women IP FIDA, Martha reclaimed the land that she legally contributed to. When Winnie (FIDA) intervened, she followed up with police to the aggressor (Martha's husband) arrested, however in court, Martha requested that the judge not detain her husband. The magistrate then referred the case back to FIDA to handle the case through a mediation, outside of the court. Winnie summoned the respondents (Martha and the perpetrator) to their home. During the mediation, both parties were heard, and Martha laid out her demands. She wanted family reunification, access to land for cultivation and she wanted him to provide and care for the children. Following this summoning, he agreed to grant her the use of seven acres of land and return the children to school.