Browsing by Author "Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)"
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Item Analysis of the Mental Health Bill, 2014: Submission to the Health Committee of the Parliament of Uganda on February 8, 2018(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2018) Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)The current legislation governing mental health in Uganda is the Mental Treatment Act, Cap 279 which was enacted in 1964. It has long been overtaken by key developments and interventions including, and most importantly, the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)1 and its ratification by Uganda. From the use of derogatory terms such as ‘idiots’ and ‘persons suffering from mental derangement’ to subjecting PWDs to forced medical interventions without consent, and detention for indeterminable periods of time, the Mental Treatment Act violates the human rights of persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities to dignity, physical and mental integrity, independence, liberty, and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.Item An assessment of the role and effectiveness of Barazas in decision making processes(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2018) Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)As part of its effort to strengthen accountability in public service delivery and improve on the performance monitoring of the Local Governments, the government of Uganda introduced Barazas1, following a presidential directive.2 The Barazas, which are managed by the Office of the Prime Minister and supported by the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) at the district and lower levels, are also known as community information forums. They are accountability platforms through which local leaders and civil servants are required to inform the communities about government policies and programmes and thereby account for their performance, whilst also seeking for the views of the people. This initiative commenced in 2009 and has since been faced by praises and criticisms in both approach and effectiveness. In that light, the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), undertook to assess the organization, popularity and effectiveness of Barazas and thereby launched a short study. The study was undertaken as part of the broader Social Accountability and Community Participation project and it involved the observation of four Barazas in the districts Adjumani3, Gulu4 , Amolatar5 and Bundibugyo. The Baraza creates a platform for technical officers to provide information about the status of service delivery to the citizens and in turn paving way for citizens to participate in the development cycle by monitoring the usage of public funds and other resources. In addition, it is a platform that is used to collect information from citizens; this is done by providing an opportunity to citizens to raise issues in concerning service delivery in their respective areas.Item Implementation of the Gender and Equity Certification Requirement under the Public Finance and Management Act(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2016) Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)Uganda’s Public Finance and Management Act 2015 mandates the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), to issue a certificate that attests to the gender- responsiveness and equity of the annual budget. Additionally, the Act provides for measures to be taken to ensure equal opportunities for men, women, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and other marginalized groups to participate in the budget process. In this issue, ISER provide an analysis of the assessment undertaken by the EOC into the gender and equity- responsiveness of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The Chairperson of the EOC, Ms. Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi reveals in a Q&A that the Commission intends to invest in capacity building for all MDAs and will regularly dialogue with relevant authorities to strengthen the effectiveness of the certification process. The Director of Budget at the MoFPED, Mr. Kenneth Mugambe, who also responded to a Q&A, speaks about the strides made in gender and equity budgeting despite resource constraints. Mr. Mugambe applauds the existing legal framework, which in his view does seek to achieve the “progressive realization” of social and economic rights. Mr. Aliyi Walimbwa, a Senior Planner from the Ministry of Health, shares his ministry’s efforts to embed the gender and equity certification framework in healthcare practice; Ms. Ceaser Nabwire provides insights into how gender budgeting is currently occurring at local government level; and Ms. Irene Navuga from the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade, Information and Negotiation Institute (SEATINI) writes about how tax policies can contribute to the attainment of gender equality. From the field, we share highlights from ISER’s gender budgeting capacity building workshops, which were hosted for women’s groups in Kayunga District.Item Reasonable Accommodation for Deaf / Hard of Hearing Children in Uganda’s Education System(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2013) Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)The Right to Education is guaranteed under Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, and the country is party to International Conventions that guarantee the right, including the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The country has been praised for introducing free Universal Primary Education (UPE) and is scoring relatively well on Millennium Development Goal 2 with very high enrollment figures. Uganda also introduced Universal Secondary Education (USE).Item Who is Responsible? A Situational Brief on the Air Pollution in Lugazi Town(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2013) Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)For close to two years, residents, workers and passersby in Lugazi Town Council have had to put up with an obnoxious smell that engulfs the town in the late evenings and early mornings. Lugazi town is located in Buikwe District, on the Kampala – Jinja Highway, approximately 50 kilometers east of Kampala. Besides complaints from the residents, the issue of the obnoxious smell has also been reported in the media and there seemed to be a mystery surrounding its source. Although residents and local authority officials blamed the pollution on the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL), their management consistently denied this in media reports and employees remained tight-lipped on the subject.