Gender, land and conflict in Moroto

Karamoja, in North Eastern Uganda, has seen considerable changes in recent years in relation to both conflict dynamics and the gendered behaviours of women and men. Despite a decrease in previous high levels of armed violence, many of the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity remain unaddressed. The current period of relative stability has also brought new challenges, including those resulting from the activities of multinational companies mining for gold, marble and limestone.

Saferworld and the Uganda Land Alliance (ULA) conducted research in March in Moroto District, Karamoja, as part of a pilot process to test a toolkit for gender analysis of conflict. This briefing explores how gender norms – the ways in which societies pressure their male and female members to behave – are influencing conflict dynamics in Moroto.

The briefing also looks at the impact of current conflicts on women and men and the different roles they have been playing. The analysis examines conflicts at the community, family and interpersonal levels, with a focus on land and extractive industries as two of the most salient current conflicts in Moroto.