“We can make it better you and I” : How Ugandan girls raised awareness of sexual and gender related violence

Authors

  • Prof. Andrew John Macnab Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and Dept. of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada image/svg+xml
  • Dr. Innocent Besigye MMed. Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. image/svg+xml https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7903-3985
  • Dr. Brenda Tusubira M.Sc. Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. image/svg+xml

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-731143

Keywords:

Education-entertainment media, Health promotion, Social empowerment

Abstract

Sexual and gender related violence (SGRV) against girls is a dark stain on the fabric of life and the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide. In spite of laws to combat violence, weak enforcement and discriminatory social norms remain significant problems globally, and urgent action employing ‘novel and innovative’ solutions is called for by the World Health organization and United Nations International Children’s Fund. Using knowledge of African society gleaned from work in school-based health promotion programs in Uganda we engaged girls, gave them a voice, and raised national awareness about the impact of SGRV through a celebrity recorded music video that highlighted the SGRV priorities the girls identified. While the unique power of the combination of images, illustrative scenarios, lyrics and music in the video engaged and informed, still photographs were also integral to the success of this call from girls ‘to make things better”. Our photographic record of this project captured many ethnographic elements of this initiative during its creation; selected images were central to the success of the promotional campaign to disseminate the messaging of the video nationwide; sharing photographs helped to maintain the engagement of team members, especially those unable to be in Uganda; and, our image archive provides a uniquely valuable element for knowledge transfer of ‘what worked and why’ in this initiative.

Received: 16 October 2024  |  Revised: 09 November 2024  | 

Accepted: 15 November 2024.

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Author Biographies

  • Prof. Andrew John Macnab, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and Dept. of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine

  • Dr. Innocent Besigye MMed., Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

    Innocent Besigye is a senior lecturer in the department of Family Medicine in the College of Health Sciences School of Medicine at Makerere University Kampala, Uganda, and coordinated the conduct of the project in Uganda. He holds a Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of surgery (MBChB) and Masters in Medicine (MMed) in Family Medicine from Makerere University. He is currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University Cape Town, South Africa. His research interests are in primary care and family medicine with focus on primary care performance measurement and wellbeing of people. He is the President of the College of Family Physicians of the Eastern Central and Southern Africa (ECSA CFP).

  • Dr. Brenda Tusubira M.Sc., Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

    Brenda Tusubira holds a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and a Masters in Family Medicine from Makerere University Kampala. She also has an MSc in Infectious Diseases from University of London. She is a researcher with interests in family medicine and primary care and is attached to the Department of Family Medicine, Makerere College of Health Sciences as a research mentee. She works as a Family Physician in primary care, and coordinated liaison with Talent Africa and Stand Tall school for this project.

References

Kuupiel, D., Lateef, M. A., Adzordor, P., Mchunu, G. G., & Pillay, J. D. (2024). Injuries and/or trauma due to sexual gender-based violence among survivors in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review of research evidence. Archives of public health, 82(1), 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13690-024-01307-3.

Macnab, A. J., & Mukisa, R. (2019). Celebrity endorsed music videos: innovation to foster youth health promotion. Health promotion international, 34(4), 716-725. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapro/day042

Macnab, A. J., Besigye, I., & Tusubira, B. (2024). Sexual and gender-related violence against girls in sub-Saharan Africa: a need for effective interventions. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 1(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.20935/MHealthWellB7365 .

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Published

2024-11-15

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2024)

Section

Photo Essay

Categories

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Copyright (c) 2024 Prof. Andrew John Macnab, Dr. Innocent Besigye MMed., Dr. Brenda Tusubira M.Sc.

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How to Cite

Macnab, A. J., Besigye, I., & Tusubira, B. (2024). “We can make it better you and I” : How Ugandan girls raised awareness of sexual and gender related violence. GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal), 7(3), 148–155. https://doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-731143
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