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Raising Voices Newletter January - March 2026
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We are pleased to welcome you to our first quarterly newsletter of 2026. As we reflect on the past few months, one thing stands out clearly: meaningful and sustainable change is driven by reflection, collaboration, and intentional action. We are encouraged by the renewed momentum across our partnerships as we continue working to prevent violence, strengthen feminist organising, and reimagine the systems that shape people’s daily lives.
This quarter, we have made important strides in advancing efforts to position schools as spaces that go beyond academic learning. Through a consultative and participatory process, we are engaging school administrators, teachers, and learners to co-create a foundational intervention aimed at preventing violence against children in and through schools. By promoting belonging, participation, and values-driven leadership, this work reinforces the importance of safe and supportive school environments.
Across the region, feminist movements continue to show resilience and adaptability in the face of evolving challenges. Convenings with partners from across East Africa have provided valuable opportunities for reflection, shared learning, and strategic alignment. These spaces highlight the critical role of solidarity, collective care, and adaptive leadership in sustaining progress toward gender justice.
We also recognize the vital role of research in guiding our work. The NAVIGENDI study, led in partnership with University College London and others, is deepening understanding of the intersections of violence, gender, and disability in Uganda. Alongside this, participatory action research processes continue to strengthen collective learning and action in addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to translating insights into sustained impact. We thank all our partners and stakeholders for your continued collaboration and dedication.
Together, we move forward with both courage and care.
Wishing you a nice reading!
Raising Voices Management
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Reflect, Renew, Reconnect: Step back into your power
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Reflecting, Reimagining, and Re-energising Feminist Leadership in The Horn East and South Africa - HESA Region
Feminist movements in the Horn East and South Africa (HESA) region are growing in strength and navigating increasingly restrictive environments. A recent regional convening brought together activists from 5 countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia and Botswana to reflect, share experiences, and reimagine the future of feminist leadership. The discussions highlighted the importance of sustaining movements amid political backlash, limited civic space, and evolving challenges.
Experiences from countries demonstrate the value of interconnected coalitions, grassroots organizing, and strategic partnerships. These efforts have contributed to notable gains, including collective strategic thinking, and reflections of our coalitions and movements in VAW prevention. However, movements continue to face obstacles such as resource constraints, ideological differences, political co-optation, and the exclusion of marginalized groups.
Across the region, there is a shared commitment to collective action, learning, and solidarity. Re-energising feminist leadership requires strengthening collaboration, centering inclusion and accountability, and investing in knowledge and care practices. It also demands intentional efforts to amplify marginalized voices and address internal movement dynamics.
Ultimately, the path forward lies in translating reflection into sustained action. By embracing both courage and care, feminist leaders can nurture resilient movements capable of adapting, growing, and advancing gender equality in a complex and changing landscape.
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Building powerful alliances with local women’s organizations
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Building Feminist Solidarity: Lessons from Uganda’s Participatory Action Research Initiative
Raising Voices participated in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) initiative led by Uganda Women’s Network, contributing to a broader regional effort to strengthen feminist movements across the Great Lakes region. The engagement included dialogue circles in February 2026 and a national validation forum in March, where women’s rights actors reflected on movement progress, challenges, and priorities.
The Research component of the project aims at Strengthening Feminist Spaces for Action, spans Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It responds to growing backlash against women’s rights and the need for stronger feminist organizing grounded in inclusive, movement-led approaches. Using participatory and feminist methodologies, the study centered lived experiences through discussions, creative tools, and community mapping.
Findings highlighted persistent structural inequalities affecting women in Uganda, including widespread sexual and gender-based violence, economic insecurity, and harmful social norms. While the feminist movement benefits from strong networks and growing youth engagement, it also faces challenges such as limited funding, fragmentation, and shrinking civic space.
A key theme was the importance of collective care, which remains underdeveloped despite its critical role in sustaining activists. Participants emphasized the need for stronger collaboration, sustainable funding, and improved access to justice.
For Raising Voices, the research offers an opportunity to deepen partnerships, amplify evidence-based advocacy, and strengthen feminist approaches to wellbeing and violence prevention across the region.
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Partnerships for Inclusion: Investigating the Intersections of Violence and Disability in Uganda
Raising Voices Team participated in the Research Unpacking for the Navigating the challenges of violence, gender and disability (NAVIGENDI) Project - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/education-practice-and-society/research/navigating-challenges-violence-gender-and-disability-navigendi which involves on ongoing research in Uganda led by University College of London (UCL) in partnership with MRC, NUDIPU, Raising Voices and LSHTM. The project is aimed at examining the intersections between violence, gender and disability through the lived experiences of girls and boys with disabilities in Uganda.
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Holding Ground: Advancing Global Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls
Raising Voices joined over 120 members of the What Works II consortium from 25 countries convened in Istanbul, Türkiye for the Annual Programme Meeting (APM) 2026, bringing together researchers, implementers, funders, and partners committed to advancing efforts to prevent violence against women and girls.
Under the theme Holding Ground: Reclaiming Momentum for Gender Equality and VAWG Prevention, the meeting provided a space for candid reflection on global challenges, including backlash against gender equality, climate pressures, and online violence. Participants explored how to sustain progress while fostering solidarity across diverse contexts.
Through strategic discussions, technical sessions, and peer exchange, the convening strengthened collaboration and shared learning. Key conversations focused on scaling effective interventions, reinforcing feminist solidarity, and ensuring accountability and safeguarding through survivor-centered approaches. A standout panel highlighted lived experiences and practical strategies such as alliance-building and grassroots mobilisation in response to increasingly restrictive environments.
The meeting also emphasized inclusive practice and the importance of centring marginalized groups through intersectional approaches. Participants examined how to translate research into compelling narratives that inform policy and drive change.
Emerging evidence and lessons from implementation were shared, alongside discussions on sustainability and innovative financing. Overall, APM 2026 reinforced the importance of global collaboration and evidence-based action to build safer, more equitable futures for women and girls worldwide.
You can read more about the APM via this link: https://ww2preventvawg.org/news-events/apm-2026-istanbul
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Please come visit us and explore our online home:
www.raisingvoices.org
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Plot 16 Tufnell Drive | PO Box 6770, Uganda UG
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