Half of the 20.000 respondents who participated in the first Sauti Stream radio poll either misunderstood what Human Rights are, or indicated they did not know what human rights are. 17% Even believe that Human rights are a foreign agenda interfering with Uganda’s way of life.
In Uganda, a significant gap in understanding human rights hampers citizens' ability to leverage these rights for holding their government accountable to ensure these rights are protected. It's crucial to highlight that human rights are deeply embedded within the Ugandan constitution, encompassing a broad spectrum of agreements between citizens and their governments designed to improve people’s lives.
A small fraction of these rights (inheritance, sexuality, abortion rights) generates controversy, mainly due to differing opinions among various groups and institutions. This situation calls for an informed discussion to reach a common ground among differing viewpoints. The bigger challenge lies in the persistence of misconceptions surrounding human rights as a whole, often portrayed incorrectly or deemed as foreign concepts. This misrepresentation threatens to spill over to the general perception of human rights, leading a substantial part of the population to reject the very rights intended to safeguard their well-being. The narrative of ‘human rights as a foreign agenda’ in turn plays into the hands of those who would like to minimise their accountability to upholding human rights.
Thus, it's crucial to amplify awareness about the positive effects of human rights and delve into the mechanisms that underscore their importance. The first campaign for the Sauti Stream program will try to do exactly this by discussing these issues with experts across 11 local language radio stations in Uganda, reaching millions to engage on this important topic.
What does 'Human Rights' mean to you?
Half of the 20.000 respondents who participated in the first Sauti Stream radio poll either misunderstood what Human Rights are, or indicated they did not know what human rights are. 17% Even believe that Human rights are a foreign agenda interfering with Uganda’s way of life.
