10 December 2008

Nira, Uganda: In northern Uganda, a UNV volunteer Human Rights Officer is helping to ensure that the security services and communities alike understand human rights.

A lawyer by profession, Charlotte Oloya works with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Lira, and is seconded to the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and the Civil-Military Cooperation Centre. The office in the Lango sub-region of northern Uganda she works in is staffed entirely by volunteers – two UNV volunteers, two from UHRC and one each from the police, army and civil society.

In a nutshell, she explains, her job is about "monitoring, investigating and reporting on human rights". For example, she has been investigating an allegation that the army obtained a suspected thief's confession by torture; and another of violence against a prisoner by another 'prefect' prisoner appointed by the guards (she later forwarded both cases to the UHRC tribunal for review). She also trains soldiers and police constables, some of who go on to train others in their districts.

While she initially helped deal with accusations of human rights violations by Uganda's military and police, her assignment later broadened to advocating human rights to communities. Ms. Oloya thus works to sensitize people to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), especially domestic violence and underage sex.

In Uganda, she explains, though the age of consent is 18, many girls marry much younger and believe they cannot refuse the demands of their husbands. She thus informs girls of their rights under the law, and believes that attitudes in the communities she works with are changing. "They need to know these things are not just laws, but are the natural rights of all people," she says.

Recently, Ms. Oloya organized drama groups to help sensitize volunteer human rights trainers. "I was happy to note that among the men who attended, many said they would go back to their communities and encourage others to respect women's rights too.

"It's a ripple effect," she remarks. "If the elders respect human rights, others emulate them… respect for human rights spreads not just by talking but by doing."

A Ugandan national herself, Charlotte Oloya says that her motivation to become a UNV volunteer back in April 2007 was "to give back to the community". "I had always been interested in human rights," she continues, "and in a country ravaged by 20 years of war I wanted somehow to make a difference in people's lives."

"Changing attitudes is certainly tough…," she concludes, "But perhaps we've helped saved someone from a beating, or prevented a young girl from 'defilement'. There's a satisfaction from making that difference."