Ayot Nancy Caroline

Keynote Remarks | Mondo Kyateka, Assistant Commissioner for Youth and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. In a powerful keynote, @mondokyateka challenged the National Dialogue to move from silence and lamentation to accountability and action. 1. Silence Has Never Solved Any Problem - “Silence has never solved any problem. We can’t keep silent about vices. We must shout out. We must make noise. We must make sure we are heard, and we must make sure that action is taken.” - “If you keep quiet, it means you are conniving with the culprits.” #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

By age 15, about 1 in 4 children experience sexual and gender-based violence. These are not just numbers — they are children whose safety, dignity, and futures are at stake. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

He called on every participant to audit themselves: “What have you done to amplify the voices of the voiceless? What are you doing to amplify the voices of those silent minorities — the children, the youth with disabilities who are sexually abused, who face gender-based violence, who are hidden in the backyards?” #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

LIVE NOW 🔴 National Dialogue on SGBV Against Children and Youth with Disabilities | @UNAPD Breaking Barriers, Strengthening Protection. Watch here: youtube.com/live/qBCFrkdTT9I… #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

UNICEF Study: - 23.6% of girls with disabilities reported sexual violence, compared to 12.3% of girls without disabilities. Her message was clear: “Disability multiplies the risk. Sexual violence is a serious problem, but disability increases exposure to that risk.” She challenged the room with five critical questions: 1. Does disability increase exposure to the risk of sexual violence? 2. Are both boys and girls affected — and are boys’ experiences being overlooked? 3. Does SGBV exclude boys? 4. What do perpetrators exploit most in SGBV against persons with disabilities? 5. What must we do differently to protect every child? #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

🔴 LIVE NOW: National Dialogue on SGBV Against Children and Youth with Disabilities. The dialogue is underway. Stakeholders are engaging on critical issues affecting the safety, protection, and inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in Uganda from prevention and reporting mechanisms to access to services and justice. Follow my coverage for key insights and outcomes from the discussion. Watch Live: @CivicSpaceTV youtube.com/@civicspacetv?si… #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

. @nancyayot shared sobering statistics that frame today’s dialogue and underscore why protection for children and youth with disabilities cannot wait. Key Statistics Shared: UNICEF, Uganda: More than 1 in 3 female children with disabilities in Uganda have experienced sexual violence. In Refugee Settlements: - 23.2% of young women with disabilities aged 13-24 experienced sexual violence during childhood, compared to 11.5% of young women without disabilities. - 15.7% of young men with disabilities experienced sexual violence during childhood, compared to 7.6% of young men without disabilities. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

3. Accessible Reporting Mechanisms And Information. Information on SGBV, protection, and reporting is often not accessible. With different types of disabilities, posters and messages that cannot be accessed cannot be used. “If the posters and everything we have put out there cannot be easily accessed by persons with disabilities, how would they utilize the information?” 4. Strengthen Community-Based Protection And Referral Systems. Referral systems exist, but they are not functioning as they should. Strengthening them will bring services closer to survivors and improve access to justice. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

This one is for the kids who get left out of every “protection” conversation. Children and youth with disabilities face higher risks of SGBV, yet most systems still aren’t built for them. Today @UNAPD is holding a National Dialogue to fix that. Live right now on @CivicSpaceTV (YouTube). If you care about real inclusion, join us. @kaferoolv @SilasCherotwo #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

The dialogue has now moved to practical solutions strengthening prevention, improving access to survivor-centred services, and ensuring inclusive protection systems. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

Her call to action for today’s dialogue: “We are not here to discuss how serious SGBV is. We all understand how serious it is. We are here to look at what we can do how can we break those barriers so that children and youth with disabilities can access justice?” #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

Solutions Proposed: - Strengthen investigations, prosecution and accountability. - Build functioning referral pathways for survivors to access justice. - Economic empowerment and easier access to disability grants. - Community dialogues to challenge harmful cultural beliefs and stigma. - Train parents and caregivers on child protection. - Train and deploy sign language interpreters. - Collect disability-disaggregated SGBV data. - Raise awareness through radio, social media, schools and community outreaches. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

During the plenary validation session, participants from Eastern Uganda — where the project is being implemented shared practical solutions to strengthen protection for children and youth with disabilities facing SGBV. The central principle guiding all actions: Nothing About Us Without Us. 1. Nothing About Us Without Us Must Be At The Centre. Children and youth with disabilities must design the protection mechanisms meant to keep them safe. Only through them can we understand: - What prevents them from reporting - What kind of support they need - What would make services more accessible “Their voices should inform the policies, the programs, the referral mechanisms and the accountability systems — because they know better.” #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

2. Invest In Capacity Building For Frontline Service Providers Paralegals, LC1 Chairpersons, Village Health Teams (VHTs), teachers, and probation officers have been trained — but many only have basic knowledge. “What if what we trained them is not what they have owned in the community? How would they handle this?” There is an urgent need to strengthen and deepen capacity building so frontline actors can handle cases involving children with disabilities appropriately. #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV

RAPPORTEUR REPORTS | Summary of the National Dialogue. Challenges Identified: - Communication and accessibility barriers teachers, police and community leaders lack capacity to support children with disabilities. - Limited participation of children and youth with disabilities in decisions affecting them. - Inadequate, non-disaggregated data on SGBV and disability. - Increased exposure to substance abuse and other protection risks #DisabilityInclusion #UNAPDProtectionAgainstSGBV