Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any form of sexual, physical, psychological, or economic harm or threat to harm another that is rooted in gender-based inequalities and unequal power relations. GBV violates human rights, signifi cantly hampers economic productivity and development, and threatens the health and well-being of millions worldwide. The WHO notes that over 35% of women worldwide have experienced GBV; however, in Uganda the fi gure is as much as 74%. While several efforts have been put in place to address GBV, the most popularly used approach in Uganda is women's economic empowerment (WEE). This paper critiques the WEE approach for the prevention of GBV in Uganda, arguing that WEE alone cannot prevent GBV. With evidence from empirical research conducted in eastern Uganda in 2017/2018, the paper argues for adopting a multidimensional approach to address GBV.

This article is a preliminary critical assessment of Uganda’s current refugee policy, ReHOPE, in the north-western part of the country. The research was based on quantitative and qualitative data gathered over six weeks in 2018 and 2019. The article is centred on national efforts to implement the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal #5, “gender equity and empower all women and girls”. Here the focus is on the policy as it relates to formal education, technical training and livelihood improvements and the empowerment of female South Sudan refugees in two settlements in Adjumani District. ReHOPE is a very complex, ambitious and costly programme. The data from this study seems to indicate that the goals of refugee female empowerment and improved livelihoods are not being widely realised in the two Adjumani settlements accessed. However, it is suggested that future studies of ReHOPE policies should be more extensive than the present one and researchers, employing mixed methodologies, should spend more time on the ground than a few weeks.