Exploring gender-based violence (GBV) in relation to sanitation (Uganda)

This study explored gender-based violence (GBV) in relation to sanitation in Omot sub-county, rural Agago District, Uganda with specific objectives to understand the sanitation practices of women and men in Omot sub-county; to discover how gender roles and norms shape practices of sanitation for women/girls and men/boys in Omot sub-county; to investigate how women/girls and men/boys think about safety, comfort, and privacy in relation to their sanitation practices in Omot sub-county; and to understand the roles and responsibilities of women/girls and men/boys in relation to sanitation in Omot sub-county. To achieve these objectives, an illustrative case study design was conducted along with a feminist approach to generate qualitative data through twenty household interviews with ten women and ten men, nine key informant interviews, two focus group discussions with eight women each, and observation of the household latrines and routes. During this research, all of the participants said there was no GBV in relation to sanitation. The research proved that there is a connection between gender-based violence and sanitation in Omot sub-county, rural Agago District, Uganda, which is in the form of emotional and psychological violence (fear and worries), and socio-economical violence (power relation) rather than physical violence (rape or sexual abuse).