Intimate Partner Violence in Emergency Situation, Lessons from Lango Sub-Region, Northern Uganda, Implications for Future Marriage Partnership

Abstract

This paper examines the implications of intimate Partner violence (IPV) on marriage relationships in emergency situation taking a case of the post covid-19 pandemic in Lango sub-region, northern Uganda. The paper brings forth the emerging evidence of victims of intimate partner violence, opinions of key stakeholders and analysis of North Kyoga Police records on cases related to intimate partner violence from the nine districts that make up Lango sub-region in northern Uganda. Qualitative research approach was employed to generate data from personal experience, interviews and review of Police crime records on Gender-based and intimate partner violence between 2020-2023. Analysis was guided by the gendercide and femicide theories. The findings indicate that intimate partner violence existed in the pre and post covid-19 period. However, regardless of gender, both men and women alike suffered violence in marriage relationship. Thus, IPV in Lango sub-region seemed a perennial vice among couples which manifested severely in the forms of physical injuries, emotional, suicide and murder in extreme cases. The significant causes of the IPV consisted of proximity between couples and family members, economic insecurity, parental meddling in couple’s affairs, culture, patriarchy, infidelity and loss of trust and suspicion. Intimate partner violence had negative implications on future marriage partnership especially with the rise in mariticide that juxtaposed the femicide ideology of female vulnerability in marriage relationships. Intimate partner violence has dire consequences on couples’ life, health, marriage and social and economic costs. Thus, this paper contributes a new dimension to the application of gendercide and femicide theories in emergency situation and informs interventions to protect vulnerable men in marriage partnerships. Keywords: Emergency, Intimate Partner, Marriage Partnership, Northern Uganda, Violence