Men’s Forum Against Domestic Violence Uganda (MFADVU) is fully registered Non-Governmental Organization formed in March 2014 under registration No. 10592. It was founded by Muhabuzi Lauben. Initially it was formed as Men’s Protection Against Domestic Violence but after several consultations, it was rebranded in 2018 to Men’s Forum Against Domestic Violence Uganda. Our major aim is to minimize Gender Based Violence (GBV) through reviving the honor and nobility of the family institution, putting major emphasis on promoting male involvement to become active parents, more equitable partners and agents of positive change in their lives. In doing so, We use a strategy of working with men in groups like Male Action Groups where different categories are formed on the ground and the champions of these groups are taken as “Male Champions” who act as agents of positive change. In order to promote male involvement to become active parents, fathers groups are also formed where model fathers are recognized and also become agents of positive change.
Integral to our activities is to mark International Men’s Day on 19th November and National Father’s Day on 21 June every year.
MFADVU organized the launch of National Father’s day in Uganda in 2016 at Bat Valley theatre in Kampala . This day was officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Uganda Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda.
The reason behind recognizing and celebrating these two events is to appreciate men and fathers from all corners and also emphasize on promoting male involvement to become agents of positive change in their lives.
Men’s Forum Against Domestic Violence Uganda has a comprehensive strategy of engaging men and boys in ending Gender Based Violence. In most cases, men are the main perpetrators of GBV . Therefore, working with them in the struggle of fighting against Gender Based Violence (GBV) is the only way to end this problem.
MFADVU also encourages and supports men suffering with or from domestic violence quietly to come out and speak.
Gender Based Violence is a result of power inequalities between men and women. According to Uganda Demographic Healthy Survey (UDHS) 2011 ,it is indicated that 56.1% of women and 55.4’% of men aged between 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while 27.8% of women and 8.9% of men have experienced sexual violence.
This is accompanied by Uganda Police reports (2013) that show that out of the 360 deaths recorded that year resulting from domestic related violence, 183 deaths were men, representing about 51% and 177 deaths were women representing 49%. In addition, the baseline survey we conducted in 2014 in the Districts of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono revealed that 4 men out of every 10 respondents interviewed, had ever fallen victim of domestic related violence either directly or indirectly . In the same survey ,6 women out of every 10 have also ever been victims.
In 2017 MFADVU conducted a baseline survey in 27 different police stations in central region. The survey was to assess different cases of GBV reported at different police stations , their causes and the way the police handles these.
The results showed that the most reported case is men failing to provide basic needs to their families, at an alarming 94%. The most common cause of domestic violence in families was poverty. The results also indicated that women police officers are the ones who work in most of the Child & Family Protection Units . This may at times which stops men from reporting cases of torture in their homes.
In our interaction with men, sometimes they also face challenges of torture in their homes, but because they fail to get someone to talk to some end up abandoning their families, others they become more violent.
It’s against this background that MPADV decided to spearhead a new approach to the emerging problem, by focusing on involving men & boys in promoting gender equality. This is done through formation of Male Action Groups (MAGs) where men/boys gather and share experiences on different issues, as well as encouraging men who suffer domestic violence quietly to come out and speak about domestic violence torture in their homes.
Men’s Forum Against Domestic Violence Uganda works to change the lives of men and their families, by promoting behavior change, gender equity & equality, active parenthood, empowering them with technical skills and reduce on redundancy and also focus on men’s health and wellbeing; social, emotional physical and spiritual.
Economic empowerment of families where MFADVU use a model of “Male and Female involvement in economic strengthening” for sustainable development through creation of savings and borrowing groups on village level known as Village Loan and Savings Associations (VSLAs), manpower development initiatives and interventions, as well as promoting interactive dialogue for family stability is one the strategies that MFDAVU use to address the problem of poverty and create harmony, peace and stability in families which are substantially vital for national development.
MFADVU thus aims at promoting equality and equity, and the socio-economic empowerment of vulnerable families. This is done through capacity building and training, provision of free legal, psycho- social support to victims, supporting the formation of income generating and
Livelihood projects to address the various cycle of poverty, thus deepening the propagation of stable and sustainable families through engaging the entire segments of our population and stakeholders to ensure the promotion and protection of the inherent fundamental human rights of all the members that constitute a family.
