Gender-Based Violence Is Not a Women's Issue. It's Everyone's Problem.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of those issues we often discuss after a tragedy makes the headlines. We express outrage, demand justice, and then move on. But for many survivors, the violence does not end when the news cycle does. It continues in silence, behind closed doors, in schools, workplaces, online spaces, and even within families.

The numbers remind us that this is not a distant problem. In Uganda, more than half (55.5%) of women aged 15–59 have experienced physical or intimate partner violence at least once in their lifetime. Nearly three in every ten women and girls have experienced intimate partner violence, while about one in four reported experiencing physical or sexual violence from a partner within a single year.

The uncomfortable truth is that GBV is not only about physical abuse. It includes emotional manipulation, economic control, sexual violence, cyber harassment, and harmful cultural practices that deny people the freedom to live with dignity. These forms of violence affect women and girls the most, but men and boys can also be survivors. Regardless of who is affected, the consequences are long-lasting.

Ending GBV requires more than stronger laws. It requires changing attitudes. Too often, survivors are questioned instead of being supported. Communities excuse abusive behaviour as a "family matter," while victims are expected to remain silent to protect reputations. That mindset only protects perpetrators.

Young people have a particularly important role to play. We are shaping conversations both online and offline. The words we use, the jokes we laugh at, and the content we share all contribute to either challenging or reinforcing harmful norms. Respect, consent, and equality should not be difficult conversations. They should be everyday values.

Governments, civil society, religious leaders, schools, and families must continue investing in prevention, survivor support services, and education. But lasting change will also come from ordinary people choosing to speak up when something is wrong instead of looking away.

A society free from gender-based violence benefits everyone. It creates safer homes, healthier relationships, and stronger communities. The responsibility to end GBV does not belong to one gender or one institution. It belongs to all of us, and the time to act is now