PACHEDO’ s Empowering  women  against Gender-Based Violence  Bungatira sub-county, Gulu district  focuses at addressing women rights abuses, violence and exploitation arising from the imbalance of power due to accessing productive resources such as land, water, finance and inequalities in employment. These inequalities are particularly  true for single mothers whose children were born either in the camps or during abduction, widows, elderly women, women with mental disabilities, HIV/AIDS, women with disabilities and rural married women fully accustomed to cultural norms and practices.

The project intends to address such imbalance by empowering women and their protection structures with information about women rights (according to CEDAW), equip them with skills relevant for women to voice out and respond to various forms of abuses, exploitation and violence. The specific objectives include:

1.To increase knowledge of 400 disadvantaged women and other community members about women rights to productive resources (land, finances and employment), available legal instruments and the role of the state and various stake holders in defending women against all forms of exploitation, abuse and violence in Bungatira Sub-county .
2. To build the capacity of 16 Women Rights Advocacy Groups (WRAG) on life skills and trans-formative leadership to be able to provide peer to peer rights and policy awareness and community engagements.
3. To empower 400 women with employable business and apprenticeship skills to engage in productive livelihood activities and fight against stigma and discrimination.
4. Facilitate disadvantaged women with information, skills tailored to advocate and promote Behavioural Change and Communication and support for social economic empowerment for all rural women.

Through community dialogues 10 village savings loans association groups were formed namely; Mon Paco, Tim Ki Cingi, Pit Odong Iwi mon, Ribe Aye Teko Speed group, Coo Ringo Pit, Kacel Watwero, Rubanga matwero, Ribe Aye Teko, Mon Yelle and Kica Ber. Each of these 10 groups had a business planning and management training before they started income generating activities, this training was a needed activity as it ensured sustainability of the different businesses that the women aspired to start.  

Each group was facilitated with value addition items worth UGX 246,000 (two hundred forty-six thousand shilling only), towards the acquisition of basic inputs to facilitate their respective enterprises. Mon Paco received saucepans, tarpaulins and Tables, Tim Ki Cingi received Piglets, Pit Odong Iwi mon; super grain bags, pallets and tarpaulins, Ribe Aye Teko Speed group; Piglets, Coo Ringo Pit; super grain bags, pallets and tarpaulins, Kacel Watwero; Costumes for Music, dance and drama, Rubanga matwero; Poultry (kroilers), Ribe Aye Teko; Poultry (kroilers), Mon Yelle; Poultry (Kroilers), and Kica Ber; Piglets. 

‘’As a result of the capacity enhancement of women in managing their initiatives beyond the project phase, 10 women groups received facilitation of value addition items worth UGX 246,000 from the District Local Government, towards the acquisition of basic inputs to facilitate their respective enterprises,’’ Member of Coo Ringo Pit Women Group. 

The groups were visited and recognized by teams of technical staff and representatives of relevant stakeholders such as sub-county and district leaders. The visits were organized per group and it aided in the evaluation of the progress and challenges by the respective groups. These visits also enabled the right’s holders to bring forward other pending issues that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to address due to availability of the different stakeholders. 

The number of members in the different groups has grown which has enabled some to acquire even bigger loans to grow their businesses and buy other essential items like pesticides for their crops.  

Men’s involvement in community dialogues and public debate meetings has also had a positive effect on the home life of different families as some men become part of the movement against gender-based violence. Women protection systems have also been put in place to offer help to those facing gender-based violence. Religious and cultural leaders are now offering to help women acquire land which has helped some women start a new life, either through farming or building a home for their children.