ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the effects of COVID-19 pandemic–related restrictions on the incidence of sexual assault in Uganda and evaluates the response of the country’s justice system to the restrictions. While there is evidence of an escalation of sexual assault in Uganda during the pandemic, there has been a sharp decrease in reported cases. Available data show possible links between stay-at-home orders and offenses committed. The country’s police have attempted to use technology to improve case reporting, but the gender digital divide makes it hard for women to access technological platforms. While the courts have increased their use of technology, they have inadvertently focused on the rights of the accused, ignoring the need to expedite the adjudication of sexual offenses. The pandemic has made many women more vulnerable to sexual abuse and exacerbated existing challenges related to women’s access to justice, including prevailing perceptions of gender and rape that have dire consequences for women. To increase access to justice, the authorities need to address the underlying gender stereotypes that undermine the credibility of victims of sexual abuse. Moreover, judges need to determine whether judicial activism is needed to challenge legal precedents deemed unjust to women and victims of sexual assault.
