FEMRITE  - Uganda Women Writers Association - PRESS RELEASE

The ordinary story is left unwritten and if written it is not read. The nineth edition of FEMRITE’s annual week of literary activities scheduled to take place 14^th – 18^th July 2008 explores the theme “Writing the Unfamiliar Story”.

            The week will start off with a Breakfast Meeting on July 14^th, 2008, where writers, policy makers, lecturers and students will talk about “Harnessing Uganda's Literary Heritage”. The Director of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Mbabazi will be the Guest of Honour at the event. On the same day, primary school pupils and secondary school students will have a chance of meeting prize-winning and published Ugandan writers at unique sessions that will be held at the FEMRITE offices on Kira Road Plot 147.

According to press and media reports, in the recent past, cases of violence against women, girls and children in form of domestic violence and sexual violence (defilement and rape) have continued to escalate. These are acts of human rights abuse that undermine the dignity and wellbeing of women.

In response, women from across Uganda are jointly crying out and calling upon the government, institutions and the public to put in place mechanisms that protect women and ensure that there is justice and equality for all. A peaceful demonstration has been organized by women and men of the civil society to call upon policy makers to give attention and put the plight of women on the government agenda.

WOUGNET has explored the use of SMS in information sharing and carrying out SMS campaigns around different themes. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, an international SMS campaign from 25/Nov – 10Dec 2007, with over 170 participants drawn from 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, was used as a strategy to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women. A Women’s Day campaign was carried out from 25/Feb – 14/Mar 2008 lead by EASSI, a WOUGNET member organisation, with over 240 participants drawn from 20 countries in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the plight of the girl-child in Kenya during the post-election violence in the country.

 Is government committed to serving the poor? This question arises out of the realization that whereas voices are heard at policy level, there is no impact at grassroots.