Advancing women's rights discourses in conflict regions : a case study of the northern Uganda crisis.

Abstract

Violence in Northern Uganda perpetrated by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has continued for over two decades. Women and children have thus remained the most vulnerable, subjected human rights violations. In Northern Uganda the conflict is unique in terms of the damage it has triggered on women. The intensity of women rights violation mostly the sexual violence and torture related offences, is a solemn hindrance to physical and psychological health of women. This demonstrates the urgent need to address these conflict related criminal offences against women’s rights in the region of Northern Uganda. Addressing the violation of women’s human rights plus interrogating the delayed efforts to respond to these concerns by government and international organization, is the concern in this paper. The project is an empirical research exploration of effective methods to involve women in the process of recovering from conflict. This thesis reflects on human rights in the African context and how to address gross violations of human rights in Northern Uganda. It also looks at the factors that hinder the reintegration of women during the process recovering from conflict. It engages a critical discourse that advances women’s rights as human rights in Northern Uganda.