Gulu City, Uganda: The “Kweli Women of Our Land Can” campaign, launched in Gulu City’s Lacor Bardege Layibi division, has brought joy and happiness to women in the Acholi region.
The Kweli campaign, Kweli Expo, and “Kweli Women of Our Land CAN” aim to enhance agricultural market income and livelihoods.
Francis Mutekanga, social behavior change specialist at Wekonnect Group, said persistent negative social and gender norms persist; they are affecting certain members of society, such as women, youth, people with disabilities, and those in refugee settlements.
Mutekanga explained that to address these challenges, the Wekonnect group created a communication campaign to change these negative norms and encourage the meaningful participation of women and marginalized groups in agriculture.
According to Mutekanga, the campaign involved research across four districts and stakeholder interviews to understand how districts tackled the challenge, and they developed a strategy for social and behavioral change communication using evidence, untested models, and explanations of change.
“By benchmarking science and best practices, they developed the campaign itself, which is now known as “KWELI Women of Our Land CAN.” The campaign aims to empower women to manage assets and properties, thrive in agriculture, and affirm their “yes” to ownership,” he said.
He further said the campaign has been officially launched, featuring various communication strategies, materials, radio advertisements, DJ mentions, drama, and inter-personal communication. Community events, such as drama, are used to raise awareness about gender-based violence and promote positive change. The campaign’s message is “KWELI means affirmation, “yes,” indeed.
“Wekonnect groups in Uganda have launched a campaign to address gender-based violence in agriculture. The campaign will include various communication strategies, radio advertisements, DJ mentions, drama, and inter-personal communication, Mutekanga said.
He revealed that the campaign will be implemented in 14 districts across North Eastern, Karamoja, the Northern Region, the Eastern Region around Elgon, and Western Uganda.
It will also aim to highlight the success stories of women in agriculture and encourage others to support them. The Reconnect Groups develop communication that appeals to individuals, private sector members, financial institutions, and agri-input service providers, as well as creating a platform for stakeholders to access different services such as seeds, technical guidance, and mechanization. He added.
Robert Achac Okok, the Chairperson of NUTOFA Limited, said the campaign will address gender issues in the regions, citing that 60% of their farmers are women who are more active and the remaining 40% are men.
According to Achac, most women don’t own land or properties and often face challenges after harvest, and this arrangement will help bridge the information gap and allow women to own land and take responsibility at home.
He urges the private sector to take center stage and involve the local community for sustainability. He also suggests mechanizing farming and incorporating it with different actors along the agricultural value chain, which will help.
He appreciated the blending of drama and action, as he sees others acting and coordinating their actions.
Michael Econi, sales agronomist at Omia Agribusiness Development Group Limited, believes that the Kweli Expo is an opportunity to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and promote its prevention.
He emphasized that GBV has a significant impact on agricultural production, as physical and psychological abuse between husbands and wives can reduce agricultural production.
Econi urged farmers to desist from GBV to improve agricultural production and interest them in their development and financial status. He cited a scenario where a husband fights and a wife decides to leave, emphasizing that GBV is a harmful vice to agricultural production and condemning it.
Geoffrey Ayella, a farmer in Lacor Gulu City, praises the Feed the Future program for Kweli Expo for combating gender-based violence (GBV). He believes that the program will encourage men to follow family rules and address issues in a constructive manner.
Ayella urges future programs to continue sensitizing men to use alternative solutions like farming rather than GBV.
Beatrice Akello, Vice Chairperson of Bardege Market, believes the program will empower women in the market by acquiring knowledge from Kweli Women of Our Land, CAN, adding that the Kweli Expo program is expected to bring about significant changes.
Agnes Adoro, a market vendor in Lacor, was touched by a drama that educated her husband on handling household tasks and increasing production.
Eunice Agira, a resident of Alokolum in Amuru, was inspired by the teachings and was ready to work with her husband to start a business alongside farming, aiming to financially support their family. She also pledged to spread the good gospel to encourage men to support women in their families.
