Perceived Gender Inequality and Social Welfare of Women in Uganda: A Case of Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Isingiro District.

ABSTRACT:
The study analyzed perceived gender inequalities and how they affected the social welfare of women. The objectives were;
To assess the perceived gender inequalities among refugees;
To assess the challenges experienced by women in accessing social services;
To identify the existing interventions for addressing gender inequality among refugees.
A cross sectional design with qualitative and qualitative approach and methods was used. Data was collected from 135 female refugees, equal numbers of male and female staff of Nakivale refugee settlement and NGOs including 6 OPM staff 10 NGOs staff,10 police officers and 10 counselors making a total of 171 participants.
Descriptive and Pearson correlation co-efficient were used to analyse data. Findings revealed that girls drop out of school more than boys, there was rampant pregnancies among teenagers, and domestic violence against females was common.
The women held the perception that female refugees were still expected to fulfill their traditional roles such as being house wives who were not supposed to work in formal employment setting.
Female refugees and girls were restricted from movement, 65% of refugee women lacked access to gainful formal employment and source of income, 97% of female refugee and girls experienced sexual exploitation, such as rape, defilement and forced marriages.
On objective three, the study found out that sensitizing people about the dangers of early marriages, enacting strong laws against domestic violence and fast tracking issues related to unemployment of female refugee, were key existing interventions.
The study concluded that female refugees undergo a lot of gender-based discrimination, experience sexual exploitation in form of rape, defilement, early marriages and forced marriages, as well as poor access to formal employment opportunities.
The study recommended that the existing interventions for addressing gender inequality among refugees should be strengthened and emphasized through sensitizing people about the dangers of early marriages, enacting strong laws against domestic violence, fast tracking issues related to unemployment of female refugees, and sensitization of refugee women and girls on the benefits of formal education in order to improve their welfare.