Battling Adversity: A Mother's Eight-Year Struggle for Justice and Hope

Consolata Kabanyoro, a 38-year-old mother of two, has faced adversity for over eight years as a resident of City Square Cell in Bundibugyo Town Council, Bundibugyo District. In 2010, she lost her husband, and his death sparked disputes among his four wives over the inheritance of his property. Despite him leaving behind four pieces of land, one of the widows attempted to claim all of it, leaving the others with nothing. 

Confronted with the challenge of raising her children alone, Consolanta sought help from the police so that she could access justice, but her efforts proved futile. “At first, I went to the police seeking help, but all this was in vain as I was never supported,” Consolanta recalls. 

Her situation changed when she attended a school outreach organized by Compassion International, a Christian charity focusing on child poverty in Bundibugyo Town Council. The event, aimed at educating parents in the area, introduced Consolanta to Justice Centres Uganda (JCU). She shared her discoveries with her two other co-wives who all agreed to visit JCU and get more details on the process.

Justice Centres Uganda intervened in the dispute by summoning all the parties and educating the widows on the importance of equitable distribution of the children’s inheritance from their late father. As a result, JCU effectively facilitated the process that ensured a fair and equitable division of the land equally among the widows. Consolanta was allocated a plot in Bundibugyo Town Council, where she is currently constructing shops to enhance her income. 

"My children are now doing better than before as I can pay their school fees promptly. The eldest has been able to finish college, while the younger one is in Senior Three," she reveals. 

Consolanta is full of praise for UN Women and JCU for restoring her faith in accessing justice for vulnerable women like herself. 

"I would never have known about my property rights after years of seeking help from the police without success. I urge partners to continue supporting women facing similar challenges in Uganda so that they too can access justice," she says, her face visibly beaming with gratitude. 

Consolata’s case was handled thanks to a 5-year Joint Programme on Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), integrating Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (UNJPGBV). This programme, funded by the Government of Sweden, is a partnership between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN WOMEN, in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD). The UNJPGBV is a national initiative with various interventions at community, institutional, and policy levels in 14 selected districts. 

 Consolanta is a happy woman who can now fully meet her responsibilities as a parent, ensuring her children receive education, medical care, and other necessities in life.