Challenges faced by duty bearers in addressing intmate partners ipv during covid-19 lockdown in Mityana district

Abstract

The study was aimed at assessing the challenges faced by duty bearers in addressing IPV during covid-19 lockdown. The study was guided by a main objective of; to assess the different challenges faced by duty bearers in addressing violence among intimate partners during covid-19 in mityana district. It also had specific objectives that included, to assess the different forms of ipv experienced during covid-19 lockdown in mityana district, to examine the social challenged faced by duty bearers in addressing ipv cases during covid19 lockdown, to examine the economic challenges faced by duty bearers in addressing ipv, to assess the structural challenges faced by duty bearers in addressing ipv. The study was carried out in mityana district in wamala region of uganda. Out of the 3 divisions of the district, ttamu division, central division and busimbi division, central division was randomly selected, and 20 respondents were purposefully selected basing on the study requirements, and these came from the different villages of the division. To analyze the main objective, the study found out that many duty bearers faced a lot of challenges during the period of covid-19 lockdown, and this made most of their work slow and many of the cases were left unhandled. To analyze objective 2, forms of ipv that were reported during covid-19 lockdown were mainly physical through beating, chocking, and burns among others with most of the victims being women while men reported more of victims of emotional violence. Analyzing objective 3, culture composed of social learning and different social norms attached to intimate relationships by different cultures in mityana district due to it composed of many cultures have always brought confusion among duty bearers affecting their work even before covid-19 outbreak. To analyze objective 4, there was limited funds allocated to support the activities of duty bearers in addressing ipv, yet they were also economically strained making it difficult to work effectively. To analyze objective 5, different sops were put in place as measures to control the spread of covid-19 virus, didn't leave out duty bearers of ipv making it difficult for them to work in this period due to limitations on movement, face to face interactions with clients among others the study found out that the work of duty bearers was highly affected by covid-19 lockdown leaving most of the work unhandled and others halfway handled as the lockdown made it more challenging for them in their work