Uganda (2020)

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ReportOUT present the findings of our 'OUT in Uganda' research study. We worked in close partnership with seven Ugandan SOGIESC organisations over a period of over a year to document the lives of an often hard to reach and voiceless population via our joint survey. We hope that through our close partnership working with our Ugandan partner organisations, we can shine a light on the lived experiences currently faced by SOGIESC Ugandans. This research also holds the Ugandan state to their human rights obligations.

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The key findings of this research study, have found that:

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• three quarters of SOGIESC Ugandans state that Uganda is 'very unsafe';

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• the Ugandan state and many other institutions such as the media construct SOGIESC people as a threat to society, despite no evidence of this being the case;

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• many SOGIESC Ugandans face financial precarity - they struggle with access to employment, a third live below and Ugandan Minimum Wage each month and 65% often live below the International Poverty line of $1.90 per day. Many SOGIESC Ugandans are living in extreme poverty and are financially marginalised;

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• prejudice and discrimination toward SOGIESC Ugandans is rife within the nation state and this significantly impacts upon their education, employment prospects and access to housing, compounding their financial precarity further. Abuse online is common;

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• respondents often face arbitrary arrest, police brutality and when SOGIESC people are a victim of crime themselves, over half do not report it for fear of not being taken seriously by the police. This is due to a fear of homo/bi/transphobic reactions by the police. The state is not protecting its citizens;

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• 38% of respondents report that they have been attacked or threatened with sexual violence twice in the last 12 months, often with more than one perpetrator;

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• over half (60%) of SOGIESC Ugandans have been tortured by another person(s);

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• a significant number (over 40%) of SOGIESC Ugandans live with depression and many show trauma and symptoms of PTSD. The mental health of many SOGIESC people is very poor and a quarter report that their physical health is 'getting worse;'

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• over half of SOGIESC Ugandans will not access healthcare services due to perceived or actual discrimination;

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• SOGIESC Ugandans seek support in SOGIESC organisations, which often do not have enough funding to provide all services needed. However, SOGIESC people need support from wider services where they will be treated equally and without judgement;

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• the most basic of human rights are not being met for many SOGIESC Ugandans.

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Please read and download this report (opens in PDF) by clicking here