COMMUNITY AID FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (CARD)

 Wife beating, maltreatment and molestation of women were seen as a divine right to men. Until the community sensitization on domestic violence and its associated punishment by ActionAid and CARD, the situation was widely been practice in many households in Ullo and its surrounding communities. However, most of our husbands have now changed and started respecting our views and opinions in household and community issues because of the education we all received on our rights and the presence of the Police Officer. Now many people shun and shame perpetrators of domestic violence in Ullo. This was the observation of Madam Ngmenlara Juliana, a COMBAT member at Ullo.

Ullo is a patriarchal society which was among the 13 non-sponsorship communities benefiting from the Community-Based Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT) Project initiated by ActionAid and its partners. Male dominance and female subordination was high in all facets of live endeavors in Ullo.

Ngmenlara Juliana, 38 years old revealed that, wife beating is gradually away from the face of history, and will very soon be considered as not part of our culture as COMBAT criminalized it. Most victims are now willing in reporting to our COMBAT Team for redress. She continues ‘I feel very lucky and save as Ullo is part of the COMBAT activities and our husbands lifestyles are fast changing. I hope ActionAid will intensify its support for women especially those from deprived communities with bad cultural practices’.