By Mike Rwothomio

The Alur Kingdom has thrown its full weight behind MEMPROW’s newly launched two-year project, “Strong Voices: Uganda against SGBV – Bridging Feminist Voices,” calling on its subjects, traditional leaders, and stakeholders to actively support the initiative aimed at empowering girls and young women.

The project officially kicked off on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in a meeting at Arua City Hall . The kick-off meeting brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from traditional institutions such as the Alur Kingdom and Luguara Kari, religious leaders, government officials, the Police, and other relevant partners.

The meeting aimed to introduce the project’s goals and expected outcomes, build shared commitment, and strengthen partnerships for effective implementation.

Implemented by MEMPROW in partnership with Medica Mondiale, the innitiave focuses on building girls’ and young women’s leadership and collective organizing, shifting patriarchal mindsets, and strengthening organizational capacity to advance a feminist agenda.

Key objectives include preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), enhancing the safety and protection of women and girls, and promoting peaceful co-existence through multi-stakeholder collaboration. The project seeks to build a bold, young-centric feminist movement that challenges patriarchal norms, promotes women’s consciousness, and fosters multigenerational activism for societal transformation.

MEMPROW Project Officer, Kayom Sunday, while addressing the gathering, outlined the project’s objectives and stressed the need for collective effort in addressing SGBV and amplifying feminist voices in programming, policy, and community action.

“We are here to kick off a two-year project called Bridging Feminist Voices… We expect more from you as leaders in your different capacities. With all the high-profile people here, we believe this project will have a strong start,” Kayom said.

According to MEMPROW, Implementation will take place in the West Nile region, specifically in Arua and Zombo districts, and as well as in Kampala, central Uganda.

Speaking after the launch on behalf of the Alur King His Majesty Ubimu Philliph Rauni Ularker III, the Kingdom’s Prime Minister (Jadipu), Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, commended MEMPROW for the transformational initiative targeting adolescents, young women, and girls.

Jadipu Opar rallied broad support for the project, particularly urging girls and young mothers who will be directly engaged to work closely with MEMPROW. He emphasized the project’s potential to create a better and more peaceful society.

“We need to support them in their meetings, trainings, and all the support they need,” Opar said.

He announced plans to brief all traditional leaders, especially in Okoro County, to ensure strong community buy-in and ownership of the project.

The initiative aligns with the Alur King’s pronouncement on “Kura Matira” (good morals), which champions the rights of the girl child, education, and the elimination of harmful cultural norms against women and girls. The Alur Kingdom spans 56 chiefdoms in Uganda and 8 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Other Stakeholders welcomed the project, citing persistent challenges including high cases of teenage pregnancies and sexual violence. In Zombo district alone, 3,896 teenage pregnancies were recorded between 2024 and 2025.

Stakeholders during the launch.

Tuku Ismail, Prime Minister of the Luguara Kari cultural institution, lauded the initiative and called for stronger involvement of men, noting that they are often the key perpetrators of SGBV.

Vice LCV Chairperson of Zombo, Grace Olero, emphasized the need to amplify the voices of voiceless women in the community.

“We have the voices here, but there are many voiceless women. We need to use this project to ensure their challenges are heard,” Olero said.

Arua District LCV Chairperson Alfred Okuonzi pledged district support, stating: “We need to sideline some patriarchal norms. We need to build their voice, choice, and power.”

Arua District acting District Health Officer (DHO), Mr. Geoffrey, pledged to “religiously implement” the project, while highlighting the existing challenges faced by women and young girls.

Assistant RCC in charge of Arua Central Division, Judith Bako, stressed the importance of unity among women to strengthen their advocacy. She pointed out challenges such as marital rape and other forms of physical and psychological violence that many women endure silently.

Ms. Sunday Kayom , MEMPROW program officer.

“One of the factors why women’s voices can’t stand strong is because even my sisters pull each other down. We need to hold our hands as women and move together,” Bako urged.

The launch comes against the backdrop of worrying national statistics. Violence against women in Uganda remains a serious concern in 2025, with 12,361 domestic violence cases recorded. Of these, 7,520 victims were adult women, highlighting their disproportionate vulnerability, according to Uganda Police 2025 Anual crime report.

Although sex-related crimes slightly declined to 12,606 cases, female juveniles remain at greatest risk, accounting for over 80% of victims of sexual violence.

The crisis is largely driven by family property disputes, neglect, and substance abuse, which continue to fuel abuse in homes and communities across the country.

MEMPROW is a national feminist human rights organization founded in 2008. It works to empower adolescent girls and young women aged 14–29 to expand their aspirations, amplify their voices, and exercise greater choices in their lives through building a strong, young-centric feminist movement.

Officials from MEMPROW, along with religious and cultural leaders, government officials, and rights activists, posed for a group photo after the launch at Arua City headquarters on April 29, 2026.

Mike Rwothomio is the News Editor at Zoomer Africa, your trusted grassroots information hub for African stories, voices, and updates.