Ethics and International Discourse in Social Work: The Case of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Legislation

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of international professional discourse in responding to cases of ethical and cultural dissonance. The discussion builds on the recent controversy over proposed legislation that would further criminalize homosexual behaviour in Uganda and the responses from international and regional professional organizations. For social work, the case was compounded by a statement from a local social work leader. The contributions and limitations of global ethical principles and international human rights standards in such cases are considered, with special attention to the salience of universalism and cultural relativism. Principles of discourse ethics and leadership ethics are also applied in the analysis. The authors conclude by recommending a moderately universalist stance that respects the dignity of all humans while preserving positive elements of African culture and worldview.

The (r)evolution and decolonization of social work ethics: The Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles

“…For example, in 2013, when Uganda proposed laws that would have supported the execution of homosexual persons, a member of the Ugandan Association of Social Workers issued a statement in favour of the proposed law; the statement was shared on the public list-server of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa. This was widely contested, and other social workers invoked the social work principle of respect for diversity (Healy and Kamya, 2014). Our Ugandan colleague promptly responded by citing the very same principle, indicating that homosexuality was unacceptable in their culture and that protesters were ethically bound to respect Ugandan culture!…”

Advancing Human Rights and Social and Economic Justice: Developing Competence in Field Education

“…A rights-based approach emphasizes universal entitlements, and thus conveys empowerment and a sense of worth (Skegg 2005). Often, the social work literature about human rights concentrates on indigenous worldviews or international issues (Bonnycastle 2011), such as the criminalization of homosexuality (Healy and Kamya 2014) or human trafficking (Androff 2011). Social workers tend to embrace human rights in practice on an international level (Ife 2012).…”

Providing Services to Youth Involved in Transactional Sex in Uganda: Professional Ethics in the Context of LGBTQ+ and Gender Oppression

“…The bill criminalized not only the expression of sexuality for LGBTQ+ individuals, but also any individual, entity or organization that supported LGBTQ+ communities. Human rights activists have condemned the bill, surfacing national and transnational activism on LGBTQ+ rights (Healy & Kamya, 2014; Wahab, 2016). While the bill was overturned in court in 2014, its principles still resonate, and proponents have tried to resurrect the legislation at every election cycle, driving a wedge within the populace (Bil-Jaruzelska et al, 2017).…”

“…Indeed, LGBTQ+ individuals may not seek services for fear of being outed. Overall, the literature underscores that LGBTQ+ communities in Uganda, while heterogeneous, are highly victimized, marginalized, and stigmatized (Healy & Kamya, 2014; Kajubi et al, 2008; King et al, 2020; Naughton, 2018).…”