A verse in the Bible often quoted during marriage vows—”till death do us part”—is emblazoned in Reverend Canon Dennis Omera’s mind every day.
As he carries out his duties at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Tororo, he encourages married couples to stay together. After all, ethically and morally, this is what he is supposed to teach. However, when it comes to gender-based violence (GBV), Reverend Omera differs from other clergy.
“If all factors remain constant and conducive, the Bible verse should prevail. But in difficult situations, the Church should not just look on,” said Reverend Omera.
But when should the institution of marriage be torn apart by the same Church? Is it when gender-based violence occurs?
Reverend Omera considers factors such as adultery, sorcery, and other issues. However, most importantly, when two married people come for counseling, the Church should help them reach a consensus and make their own decisions.
“We have to maintain equilibrium. After giving them advice, it is their decision,” advised Reverend Omera.
The actions that bring couples to the clergy are rarely isolated. The easy part is praying to heal the physical wounds caused by gender-based violence, wounds that the health system can often treat.
However, this approach can be dangerous as victims are often discharged back into the same environment where the violence occurred, leaving them at ongoing risk of retaliation, re-injury, and sometimes even death.
The much harder wounds, however, are the hidden emotional traumas—complex and harder to treat. These are often more prevalent and harder to detect, especially among wealthier families who live in large houses, drive nice cars, and may refuse to talk about the issue. The silence exacerbates the problem, which extends beyond the immediate family to innocent parties, such as the mother-in-law.
“Men who brutalize women are just ‘bad-mannered.’ But we need to have the knowledge to detect the unobvious and hidden GBV,” said Reverend Omera.
Unfortunately, women bear a disproportionate burden of gender-based violence. They are also the ones forced to navigate the often complicated legal and medical systems, often with little or no support.
“It is daily. It can be the boy, the man, but usually, it is the woman. As you walk around, someone stops you,” he says. The role of religious leaders is to ensure each individual’s well-being, safety, and access to care.
The Church remains a focal point for the community—a place of hope for the hopeless, providing strength to the silent. Ultimately, the Church advocates for social justice on many fronts, including gender-based violence.
At St. Peter’s Cathedral in Tororo, clergy from eastern Uganda were trained for two days on GBV by the International Community of Women Living with HIV in East Africa (ICWEA). ICWEA officials explained that religious leaders are a key audience for training, as they have regular gatherings of people ready to listen—every Sunday and at social events.
Reverend Canon Omera, who was one of the trainers, emphasized the need for more training to raise community awareness on GBV. At the training, religious leaders discussed various forms of GBV and how to mitigate them. One of the most common forms of GBV they encounter is economic violence, often involving disputes over shared resources.
For example, when a woman asks her husband to share the proceeds from selling a chicken or produce, or when a child struggles to raise a goat and it is sold without their consent or consultation. Reverend Omera often resolves such issues by replacing the lost item in kind. He also encourages children to forgive and pray for their parents and holds a dialogue with the man, in the presence of his wife, if he fails to share resources with the family.
ICWEA also trained religious leaders on the rising emotional GBV, which is harder to detect. This training was an eye-opener, and Reverend Omera believes it needs to continue. He observes that the vice is growing as the population expands, with increasingly peculiar personality traits and behaviors becoming evident in his daily encounters.
He strongly condemns gender-based violence, saying that regardless of the spiritual perspective that encourages individuals to take it to God, mutual respect must prevail in marriage—despite differing opinions or cultural norms.
“I don’t have time to cushion it. I condemn it as sin. Sin is sin, and it should be condemned,” concluded Reverend Canon Omera.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence for 2024 runs from November 25 to December 10. This year’s theme is “Unite! End Violence Against Women and Girls”, emphasizing collective action to address and eliminate gender-based violence globally. The campaign encourages individuals, organizations, and governments to come together, highlighting the importance of solidarity in tackling systemic issues that perpetuate violence against women and girls.
The campaign begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and concludes on December 10, Human Rights Day. During these 16 days, various activities such as awareness campaigns, community dialogues, and advocacy initiatives aim to promote respect, equality, and effective implementation of policies to prevent and respond to violence.