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WOMENS PROPERTY RIGHTS

MIFUMI Uganda in partnership with MDG3 Fund

Through this new initiative, MIFUMI is tackling complex issues such as fraudulent sale of family land, forceful grabbing of women's property and restriction of women's control and use of land. Women are often evicted from their lands and homes by in-laws, and stripped of their possessions. Divorced or separated women are frequently expelled from their homes with only their clothing. Many men put the management of their property in the hands or authority of their brothers instead of their wives.

As a response MIFUMI is harnessing women's creativity to secure their economic independence by supporting agricultural initiatives with strong market bases and a potential to create a lot of employment and income. These initiatives include diary farms as well as women's food procurement and processing cooperatives, now employing over 200 women. “Most times women win cases in courts, but do not get any awards and end up where they started, these schemes are really helping women gain their independence”.

In the short term, MIFUMI is working to increase protection for women and ensure perpetrators are held to account. 60 Independent Advisors have been recruited in the community to assist survivors to seek legal redress. According to Grace their coordinator “The justice we are getting is faster and better, the community leaders get involved and are very supportive, more cases are getting reported. Many people say they simply did not know women had rights to property! More local leaders are taking responsibility, documenting cases and providing feedback”.

In order to tackle discrimination which is at the root of violence and abuse, MIFUMI continues to champion the reform of bride price. Now the matter is before Uganda's Constitutional Court where MIFUMI is arguing that the conditional payment or refund of bride price before marriage can be contracted or nullified, fetters with free consent and predisposes women to cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment. Polygamy has emerged as another major factor aggravating domestic violence. MIFUMI will this year develop work to address this challenge.

MIFUMI aims to support women and children to achieve fulfillment, by leading the fight against domestic violence in Uganda. MIFUMI has been working since 1995 to provide comprehensive services that address both the causes and effects of domestic violence in Uganda. A key priority for MIFUMI now is the push for cultural change with a particular focus on bride price.