Tufts: The State of Female Youth in Northern Uganda: Findings from the Survey of War Affected Youth

Youth have been the primary victims and the primary actors in the 22 year war between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army. However, it has never been clear exactly who is suffering, how much, and in what ways. We knew little about the experience of youth: what is the magnitude, incidence, and nature of the violence, trauma, and suffering of youth in northern Uganda? Understanding of the effects of war on women and girls has been particularly lacking.

Not surprisingly, targeting of services has been crude. Programming has been based on rough measures of well-being, immediate and observable needs, and possibly erroneous assumptions about the types of assistance required and the appropriate beneficiaries.

The Survey of War Affected Youth (SWAY) seeks to address these problems by improving the information available to service providers working with youth in order to implement better evidence-based programming.

The State of Female Youth in Northern Uganda presents findings on female youth in northern Uganda. Specific topics include:

· Livelihoods
· Education
· War Violence and Abduction
· Forced Marriage and Motherhood within the LRA
· Psychosocial Well-being and Mental Health
· Health
· Sexual and Domestic Violence
· Reintegration

Findings are based on a quantitative survey of 1,018 households and 619 young women and girls and on in-depth qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of survey respondents, their friends, community members, and family.

The report strongly suggests that the Ugandan government, UN agencies, and NGOs should abandon targeting categories based on war experience, such as the “formerly abducted,” “girl mother,” and “orphan.” While important in the experience of an individual and her family, these categories do not determine vulnerability or need. War affects a much broader segment of the population than those within these parameters: assistance should therefore be targeted towards measurable needs--illiteracy, chronic unemployment, family estrangement, emotional distress, serious injury and illness--regardless of a specific war experience.

Download the report from the Tufts website.