PROGRESS UPDATE
JULY – SEPTEMBER 2025
Dear Partners, Allies, Defenders and Friends,
Warm greetings from the Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDN-U)!
We are pleased to share with you (a) the key highlights from our activities and achievements during the second quarter of 2025 (July to September). We share the contex of crisis in Uganda between January and September 2025 and (b). We also take this opportunity to reflect on the current situation in which Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) continue to operate in Uganda. Your continued solidarity and support have enabled us to make progress in creating safe spaces, amplifying voices, building capacity, and promoting the protection of WHRDs across the country.
- WHRDN-U in Action: July to September 2025
Amid national situation, the third quarter of 2025, Our network sustained vital work in protection, advocacy, and movement-building thereby centering defenders’ safety and strengthening collective resilience.
July: Grounded in Action and Governance
- Albertine Region WHRDs Engage the Equal Opportunities Commission WHRDs from the Albertine region held a dialogue with the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), presenting evidence of discrimination and advocating for inclusive government policies that address gender and regional disparities. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1940455930124292360
- Batwa Women Lead Environmental Justice in Bundibugyo. Indigenous Batwa women defenders mobilized their community for a clean-up campaign, collecting plastics and raising awareness on environmental conservation as part of preserving their heritage and land rights. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1940862323759239659.
- Board of Directors Meeting . We held on July 24th , this strategic meeting and reinforced WHRDNU’s governance and accountability. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1948371525301608671
- Held 7th Annual General Assembly. On July 2025, members gathered to reflect,strategizze an reaffirm our collective mission. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1949804963192041547
August-: Consultative meeting with French Embassy Uganda with Uganda`s feminist organization and stakeholders.
- 29th August 2025 WHRDN-u participated in the consultative meeting with French Embassy with Uganda’s feminist organization and stakeholders. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1961846760701039020
September — Amplifying Voices, Building Resilience and Solidarity
- Regional Engagement and Cross-Border Solidarity
WHRDN-U contributed to regional feminist dialogues, reinforcing partnerships across East Africa on the theme ‘Defending Democracy and Safety in Times of Repression. - Community-Level Protection Strategies. Local WHRD clusters expanded peer support circles, deepening awareness on digital security, legal risk mapping, and safe reporting mechanisms.
- National Forum for Women Human Rights Defenders at Esella Country Hotel. On 29/08/25, from every region of Uganda, women human rights defenders gathered Esella country Hotel, for a national forum, reflecting on digital threats, shrinking funding, trauma & gendered attacks.https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1961791097853595680
- Annual Convening for the Consortium of WHRDs Protection Network for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Annual Convening in Nairobi bringing together the consortium of WHRDs protection Network from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1970668189072646208
- WHRDNU attended a live pod cast on the International Day for Democracy at the Swedish Embassy. On 16th September WHRDN-U participated in a live podcast on the International Day of Democracy hosted by Embassy of Sweden in Kampala and Grab A Coffee pod, with media practitioners, scholars, CSOs and Development Partners. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1967949390783582609
- Meeting with the Swedish Embassy Kampala and Civil Rights Defenders team from Stockholm WHRDNU`s meeting with the Swedish Embassy in Kampala and Civil Rights Defenders team from Stockholm in solidarity with human rights defenders and civil society actors in Uganda. https://x.com/WHRDNU/status/1971198067169952207
Quarter o3 (August- September): Cases reported & Documented for Evidence, Advocacy, and Collective Care
We are pleased to share with you the highlights from our Quarter 03 Case Registry Report, reflecting the resilience, challenges, and progress of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) across Uganda. This quarter’s data offers critical insights into the nature of violations, the scope of activism, and the support mechanisms mobilized through our network. Interms of caseoverview we documented a total of 15 cases (Individual WHRDs: 14 and Group WHRDs: 1). We provided support to all 15 WHRDs received psychosocial support, security tips, and solidarity visits.
The following tables below illustrates the nature of violations, the scope of activism, and the support mechanisms mobilized through our network.
| Nature of Activism Targeted The most affected areas of human rights include: | |
| Type of Activism | Cases Reported |
| Gender-Based Violence GBV) | 4 |
| Enviromental Rights | 3 |
| Child Rights | 2 |
| Other Areas (eg land, indegenous,Economic rights) | 1 each |
| The prominence of GBV activism highlights both the courage of defenders and the risks they face in patriachal settings | |
| Violations Faced | |
| Type of Violation | Cases |
| Threats, Surveillance, Intimidation | 6 |
| Slander,Smear Campaigns, Assault | Moderate |
| Death Threats,Hate Speech,Arrests | Low |
| These violations span physical , emotional , and reputational jarm, undersoring the multifaceted risks WHRDs endure. | |
| Perpetrator Categories | |
| Perpetrator Type | Cases |
| Community Members | 4 |
| Government Actors | Moderate |
| Family Members | Low |
| Community -liked threats remain the most reported , while state involvement continues to raise serious concerns about misuse of authority. | |
| Recommendatons: | |
(b ) The contex of crisis in Uganda bwtween January and September 2025
Uganda is currently experiencing a significant deterioration in human rights, characterized by increasing repression of dissent, shrinking civic space, and state-sanctioned impunity (WHRDN-U Jan–Mar 2025, WHRDN-U Jan–Jun 2025). Against this backdrop, Uganda’s human rights climate remained restrictive in the first half of 2025, with authorities targeting critics, environmental activists, and political opponents through arrests, intimidation, and legal measures that shrink civic space (HRW, Freedom House). In the LGBTQ+ sphere, the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) still imposes severe penalties despite court interventions; while judges struck certain provisions in 2024 and affirmed that people cannot be denied medical care because of sexual orientation, most of the law remains in force and abuses have escalated, as documented in May 2025 by Human Rights Watch (HRW, AP News, Freedom House; see also The Guardian).
As the January 2026 general elections approach, press freedom groups reported a “troubling crackdown” on journalists covering a March 2025 Kampala by-election, spanning assaults, detentions, equipment seizures, and broadcast suspensions across multiple outlets (CPJ). Parliament also advanced, and on June 16, 2025 the president signed legislation allowing military courts to try civilians, despite UN warnings in May that the bill is incompatible with international law (UN/OHCHR, Reuters; see also HRW). These measures signal the broader militarization of governance and politicization of institutions, with WHRDs often labelled “oppositional” during electoral periods and exposed to harassment, raids, threats, police summons, and arbitrary detention, undermining civic education and election monitoring (WHRDN-U Jan–Mar 2025, WHRDN-U Jan–Jun 2025, Chapter Four-students protest).
Civic space is tightening under a dense thicket of laws and arbitrary enforcement: the NGO Registration framework facilitates suspensions and funding blocks; the Anti-Terrorism Act (2015) is used to intimidate HRDs around funding; and statutes like the Public Order Management Act, Computer Misuse Act, and Anti-Pornography Act criminalize protest, speech, and digital activism. The anti-gender movement’s narratives have translated into policy, most visibly the AHA, fueling stigma, cutting funding, and catalyzing violence against those working on gender, sexuality, or equality (HRW World Report-Uganda, Freedom House, HRW-AHA abuses). These dynamics have also produced diplomatic frictions, as authorities accused Western diplomats of “subversion,” drawing denials from Germany and broader concern about democratic backsliding (AP News, DW, BBC).
Environmental rights defenders opposing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) faced continued harassment and arbitrary arrests. In April, police detained 11 StopEACOP activists during a peaceful action in Kampala, and rights groups documented broader patterns of arrests and judicial harassment against green activists into June (BankTrack, FIDH/OMCT). Reporting in March and April also underscored inadequate compensation and displacement linked to the oil project, and the mounting risks for communities and protest leaders (Washington Post, The Guardian). Beyond EACOP, land and resource conflicts, such as militarized evictions, have amplified danger for women land and environmental defenders; security-force responses have included raids, arrests, and gendered violence, exemplified by the public humiliation of a female police commander ordered to undress (Observer, WPI, Daily Monitor-women & climate).
Economic pressures further weaken civil society: grant closures, intensified scrutiny, and funding restrictions limit WHRDs’ operational capacity, leaving defenders under-resourced to navigate legal-bureaucratic risks and more vulnerable to state and non-state attacks (WHRDN-U Jan–Mar 2025, Independent-EU concern, US CRS). The directive of President Donald Trump to halt the USAID funding has affected the work of women human rights defenders in Uganda, especially those focused on health issues; some U.S. conservative groups are pushing African countries to follow stricter rules on sexual and reproductive health. As a result, some women’s health programs have been cut, with local projects supporting abortion rights, maternal care, and LGBTQ+ health closing and activists facing heightened threats and public attacks, forcing many to scale back for safety and lack of resources.
Social drivers compound risk: entrenched patriarchal norms, policing of women’s bodies, and stigmatization of LGBTIQ+ communities create layered vulnerabilities for Indigenous women, young feminists, and defenders with disabilities. Gendered attacks and public shaming, including the case above, illustrate pervasive threats even within institutions meant to protect; at the same time, youth-led activism and women’s visibility in environmental and civic advocacy are rising, albeit met with intensified repression (Freedom Hive, Observer, Daily Monitor-women & climate, WPI).
A parallel refugee-support crisis compounded vulnerabilities. Uganda, Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country, counted ~1.8–1.9 million refugees by mid-2025, but funding lagged; by April, the inter-agency plan had received just 9% of required Q1 funds, with warnings of service cuts and deteriorating conditions (education, nutrition, protection) for refugee women, children, and LGBTQ+ asylum seekers (UN, UNHCR).
Taken together, the key drivers are consolidation of authoritarian power, militarization of governance, impunity within state institutions, patriarchal norms, and the targeted criminalization of women’s activism, as manifest in civilian prosecutions before military courts, politically motivated cases against opposition leaders, and threats against WHRDs supporting political prisoners (HRW-military trials bill, Observer-opposition bail, Chapter Four-threats, Agora CFR). Peaceful assembly has been criminalized as well, illustrated by the 9 January 2025 arrests of journalist-lawyer Agather Atuhaire and six others during a march to the Supreme Court (Daily Monitor).
Despite relentless pressure, organizing persists. CSOs face surveillance, deregistration threats, and constrained funding, yet grassroots networks, cross-border solidarity, and decentralized organizing are building resilience. With elections ahead, predictable spikes in risk include arbitrary detentions and abductions, fabricated finance-related charges, NGO suspensions, violent crackdowns, disappearances, protest-related deaths, surveillance, office raids, movement restrictions, and weak accountability (WHRDN-U Jan–Mar 2025, WHRDN-U Jan–Jun 2025, Chapter Four-criminalization & delays). WHRDN-U and allied feminist groups have engaged in advocacy and solidarity, through press conferences during the Pan-African Conference on Family Values, joint regional statements, and convenings for structurally marginalized WHRDs, while monitoring threats and offering practical support. The urgent need is for initiatives that strengthen WHRDs’ legal navigation, risk-mitigation and safety planning, advocacy capacity, and solidarity networks so they can continue vital work amid shrinking civic space (WPI presser, WHRDN-U joint statement, WHRDN-U “Breaking Isolation”).
Positive, though limited, developments were also noted: the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) resumed tribunal sessions in February 2025, potentially widening access to remedies for some victims (UHRC annual context). Uganda also continued engagement around its National Action Plan on Business & Human Rights, an existing framework that includes gender-responsive remedies and protections for marginalized groups (UNDP baseline-Uganda NAP). That said, these steps coexist with systemic restrictions and legal changes that heighten risks for minority groups and WHRDs, especially those working on SOGIESC issues, land and environment, and election-related accountability (WHRDN-U Jan–Jun 2025).
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Feminist Protection for 2026 and Beyond
As Uganda approaches the 2026 elections, the safety and participation of women defenders remain critical to democratic resilience. WHRDN-U will continue to:
- Expand the reach of its Protection and Rapid Response system;
- Deepen partnerships for legal, psychosocial, and advocacy support;
- Strengthen regional solidarity and feminist movement-building;
- Strengthen protection for WHRDs in GBV and enviromental sectors
Works Cited
Agora Center for the Rule of Law (X). “Threats against WHRDs supporting political prisoners.” https://x.com/agoracfr/status/1937040919993131140?s=12 X (Twitter)
AP News. “Uganda accuses EU of ‘subversion’; diplomats reject allegations.” 2025. https://apnews.com/article/uganda-european-union-subversion-accusations-1d27cf858afa4dd48b659b39efd692a7 AP News
AP News. “Ugandan court upholds anti-gay law that allows the death penalty in some cases.” April 3, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/651623657b0a971e755080c7bda40a8b AP News
BankTrack. “11 StopEACOP activists unlawfully arrested in Kampala…” April 24, 2025. https://www.banktrack.org/article/11_stopeacop_activists_unlawfully_arrested_in_kampala_while_peacefully_opposing_kcb_s_eacop_financing Banktrack
BBC News. “Militarization of governance and familial power structures (Uganda).” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx0w7v50qgo BBC News
Chapter Four Uganda (X). “Criminalization of WHRDs and delayed legal protection.” https://x.com/chapterfourug/status/1932726488379379805?s=48 X (Twitter)
Chapter Four Uganda (X). “Suppression of student voices: university students peacefully protesting faced dismissal.” https://x.com/chapterfourug/status/1918408236819980395?s=48 X (Twitter)
Chapter Four Uganda (X). “Threats against WHRDs supporting political prisoners.” https://x.com/chapterfourug/status/1937053004034719862?s=48 X (Twitter)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). “Troubling crackdown on Ugandan journalists ahead of 2026 elections.” March 27, 2025. https://cpj.org/2025/03/troubling-crackdown-on-ugandan-journalists-ahead-of-2026-elections/ Committee to Protect Journalists
Daily Express (Uganda). “CDF Muhoozi demands UHRC apology over Eddie Mutwe; blasts EU for meeting Bobi Wine.” May 15, 2025. https://dailyexpress.co.ug/2025/05/15/cdf-muhoozi-demands-uhrc-apology-over-eddie-mutwe-blasts-eu-for-meeting-bobi-wine/ Daily Express (Uganda)
Daily Monitor. “How women are making a difference on climate change.” https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/how-women-are-making-a-difference-on-climate-change-5067100 Daily Monitor
Daily Monitor. “Journalist-lawyer Agather Atuhaire arrested.” https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/journalist-agather-atuhaire-arrested-4883280 Daily Monitor
Deutsche Welle (DW). “Germany rejects Uganda’s subversive activities accusation.” https://www.dw.com/en/germany-rejects-ugandas-subversive-activities-accusation/a-72672859 DW
FIDH/OMCT. “Uganda: Arbitrary arrest and detention of 11 Ugandan environmental rights defenders.” June 20, 2025. https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/uganda-arbitrary-arrest-and-detention-of-11-ugandan-environmental fidh.org
Freedom Hive Uganda (X). “Persistent gender discrimination.” https://x.com/freedomhive_ug/status/1932679971345949073?s=48 X (Twitter)
Freedom House. “Uganda – Freedom in the World 2025.” https://freedomhouse.org/country/uganda/freedom-world/2025 Freedom House
GlobalNAPs. “Uganda – National Action Plan on Business & Human Rights.” https://globalnaps.org/country/uganda/ globalnaps.org
Human Rights Watch. “They’re Putting Our Lives at Risk”: How Uganda’s Anti-LGBT Climate Unleashes Abuse. May 26, 2025. https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/05/26/theyre-putting-our-lives-risk/how-ugandas-anti-lgbt-climate-unleashes-abuse Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch. “Uganda passes bill allowing military trials of civilians.” May 22, 2025. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/22/uganda-passes-bill-allowing-military-trials-civilians Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch. World Report 2025 – Uganda. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/uganda Human Rights Watch
OHCHR (UN Human Rights). “Uganda: Türk urges president to reject bill allowing trials of civilians in military courts.” UNTV briefing, May 23, 2025. https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d340/d3400371 UN Media
Parliament Watch Uganda. “27th Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Report (PDF).” July 2025. https://parliamentwatch.ug/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/27th-UHRC-report.pdf Parliament Watch Uganda
Reuters. “Uganda leader signs law reintroducing military trials of civilians.” June 16, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/uganda-leader-signs-law-reintroducing-military-trials-civilians-2025-06-16/ Reuters
The Guardian. “People displaced by Uganda oil pipeline ‘received inadequate compensation’.” April 1, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/uganda-displaced-people-kingfisher-oil-pipeline-eacop-compensation The Guardian
The Guardian. “Uganda accused of state bigotry, abuse and arbitrary arrests against LGBTQ+ people – HRW.” May 27, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/may/27/uganda-museveni-criticised-state-bigotry-abuse-arbitrary-arrests-and-detentions-violence-extortion-lgbtq-human-rights-hrw The Guardian
The Independent (Uganda). “EU raises concern on rising human rights violations in Uganda.” https://www.independent.co.ug/eu-raises-concern-on-rising-human-rights-violations-in-uganda/ The Independent (Uganda)
The Observer (Uganda). “Besigye, Lutale denied bail by Justice Rosette Kania.” https://observer.ug/news/besigye-lutale-denied-bail-by-justice-rosette-kania/ The Observer (Uganda)
The Observer (Uganda). “Soldiers raid Wakiso police; commander ordered to undress.” https://observer.ug/news/soldiers-raid-wakiso-police-order-commander-to-undress/ The Observer (Uganda)
The Washington Post. “How one controversial pipeline reveals the state of the global fight over oil.” March 11, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/03/11/uganda-pipeline/ The Washington Post
Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). “UHRC resumes holding series of human rights tribunal sessions across the country – 2025.” Feb. 11, 2025. https://uhrc.ug/uhrc-resumes-holding-series-of-human-rights-tribunal-sessions-across-the-country-2025/ Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC)
UN Uganda / UN Country Team. “The Silent Crisis: Funding Shortages Deepen Malnutrition among Uganda’s Refugees.” April 2025. https://uganda.un.org/en/294086-silent-crisis-funding-shortages-deepen-malnutrition-among-uganda%E2%80%99s-refugees The United Nations in Uganda
UNHCR. Uganda – Operational Data Portal (country overview) & Uganda – Refugee Statistics May 2025. https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/uga ; https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/116727 UNHCR Data Portal+1
US Congressional Research Service. Uganda: Current Issues and U.S. Relations (R48513), Apr. 21, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48513/R48513.2.pdf
WHRDN-U (X). “Joint statement: Defending Solidarity, Safety, and Democracy in East Africa.” https://x.com/whrdnu/status/1927379099862868339?s=12 X (Twitter)
Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDN-U). “Breaking Isolation: WHRDN-U Convenes Structurally Marginalized Women Human Rights Defenders.” https://www.whrdnuganda.org/breaking-isolation-whrdn-u-convenes-structurally-marginalized-women-human-rights-defenders/ WHRDN-U
Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDN-U). “Documenting Attacks, Amplifying Voices: Increased Threats Against Women Human Rights Defenders in Uganda (Jan–June 2025).” https://www.whrdnuganda.org/documenting-attacks-amplifying-voices-whrdn-u-reports-increased-threats-against-women-human-rights-defenders-in-uganda-jan-june-2025/ WHRDN-U
Women Human Rights Defenders Network Uganda (WHRDN-U). “Progress Update: January–March 2025.” https://www.whrdnuganda.org/progress-update-january-march-2025/ WHRDN-U
Women Probono Initiative (WPI). “Press releases (incl. statement on SP Esther Kiiza).” https://womenprobono.org/category/press-release/ Women Probono Initiative
Women Probono Initiative (X). “Press conference during the Pan-African Conference on Family Values.” https://x.com/womenprobono/status/1920769074172215755?s=48 X (Twitter)