violence and abduction of girls

The abduction of children was a big problem in Uganda. The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) abducted literally thousands of girls and women, some as young as 8, where they were trained as soldiers, and are forced into domestic and sexual slavery.

Life after abduction was hard and traumatic. While in captive they had to obey all of the commanders and were expected to take part in horrific activities, including the abduction of other children, village raids and they were even expected to kill their own friends and family.

Young girls often ended up being domestic servants where they worked long days doing strenuous work. The LRA doesn’t have a practice of raping young girls. Instead they wait until they are around 14 to make them ‘wives’ of the commanders. From this point on the girls experienced rape, unwanted pregnancies and were at risk form catching STDs, including HIV/AIDs. These girls also experienced violence at the hands of the men around them.

If the girls became pregnant they were at risk from the dangers surrounding delivering their babies without medical help. They also then faced the problem of feeding their babies when they themselves didn't have enough food or water. Although being a wife brought the girls some protection from violence and some privalages over the other girls, if their ‘husband’ died they were then open to all the same physical and sexual risks.

Girls who have been abducted as wives and/or servants often find it hard to get back into normal society if they are released or escape. Living through fighting, war, brutal bush life and sexual violence often makes it difficult for them to be accepted by their families and communities. It is especially difficult if they have lost their parents or homes and if they try to return with children of their own. There is a lot of shame attached to under-age and unmarried sex, even if it happened by force.

It doesn’t help that a lot of communities are living with painful memories of losing their homes and families and they may view the returning girls as being part of the reason for their suffering. All of this makes it really hard for these girls to build a life.