Religious Leader Champions Change: From Harmful Norms to Supporting Girls’ Education in Yumbe

Ajija Swadiki, 53, is a respected religious leader in Kogbo village, Yumbe District. For many years, he adhered to cultural norms that negatively impacted women and girls. "We believed that women should not sit on chairs, that if you have twins, you should kill one, and if your daughter gets pregnant before marriage, you should force her to marry the man responsible," he recalls.

In 2023, Swadiki’s life changed when he was selected to attend the SASA! training program, a community initiative funded by the Government of Norway and UN Women in partnership with Uganda Network on Law, Ethics, and HIV/AIDS (UGANET). The program, which aims to prevent violence against women and girls, was a turning point for him. "When I was going for the training, I didn’t know what to expect," he says. "But it became a turning point in my life."

Just three days before the training, Swadiki learned that his 16-year-old daughter was pregnant. "I was angry and annoyed. We thought we needed to chase her away and force her to marry the man responsible," he recalls. However, the SASA! training challenged his thinking. It addressed issues like teenage pregnancy and emphasized that girls should not be forced into marriage. "The discussions hit me hard. I couldn’t wait to go home and share what I had learned."

When he returned home, Swadiki sat down with his wife, Hajara, and explained, "Forcing our daughter to get married will ruin her future. We must support her." Initially, Hajara was resistant. "I gave all manner of excuses to convince him that the girl should marry the man," she admits. "But my husband explained why we shouldn’t go down that road. I realized that he was determined to support our daughter. I missed the chance to finish my education, and I didn’t want our daughter to miss out either."

By the end of the training, Swadiki and Hajara had agreed not to force their daughter into marriage. Instead, they would support her through her pregnancy and send her back to school after the birth. "When our daughter gave birth in August 2023, we made sure she went back to school by February 2024," Swadiki says proudly. "She’s now in Senior Three, preparing for her national exams next year." They rented a room near the school, and a relative stays with her so she can attend school and care for her baby.

Swadiki’s decision has had a ripple effect in the community. "Since seeing what we did for our daughter, two other parents have sent their girls back to school," he shares. "Others come to me for advice." He is challenging the harmful cultural norms that have held back many girls.

After the training, Swadiki also began helping his wife with household chores, which is not common in his culture. "It’s something that my children are learning too. This is how we change the narrative" he says. Though criticized at first by others in the community, Swadiki has noticed a shift, with other men beginning to help their wives as well. "Change starts with us," he says. "If we change as parents, our children will learn from us, and the next generation will be better."