Know Your Rights 6: Everyone is free from slavery or forced labour

Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda, also known as The Bill of Rights, details the rights of all Ugandan citizens. If you are a person with a disability (PWD) these rights are yours.

Article 25 of the Constitution of Uganda says by law that no one should be a slave or held in servitude. No one should be forced to do work unless it is ordered by a court, or in prison and necessary for the hygiene of the place of detention.

If you are a PWD you may be the victim of exploitation. These are the experiences of a deaf girl:  

I got my first job through a friend of my mum’s when I finished school. We had agreed a salary but then the doctor refused to pay me, saying I had to have sex with him first. After three months he still hadn’t paid me what we agreed, demanding I had sex in return for my salary. I told my mum and she was very angry. She spoke to the doctor who eventually agreed to pay me what he owed me but told me to stop working there. (see UK Charity Helping Deaf Children In Uganda).

These are the experiences of blind women:

The large majority of the women with visual impairment have also experienced men exploiting them by pretending to be helping. However, the men end up exploiting them sexually. (See EXPERIENCES OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES: (A case study of Uganda)).

Tackling the Exploitation of Deaf Women in Uganda
"For them, a big challenge is sexual exploitation. There is a high rate of rape among deaf women and the perpetrators aren’t brought to justice". 

In the Constitution of Uganda Article 25 is written like this:

25. Protection from slavery, servitude and forced labour. 

(1) No person shall be held in slavery or servitude.

(2) No person shall be required to perform forced labour.

(3) For the purposes of this article, “forced labour” does not include—

(a) any labour required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court;

(b) any labour required of any person while that person is lawfully detained which, though not required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court, is reasonably necessary in the interests of hygiene or for the maintenance of the place at which the person is detained;

(c) any labour required of a member of a disciplined force as part of that member’s duties as such or, in the case of a person who has conscientious objections to service as a member of a naval, military or air force, any labour which that person is required by law to perform in place of that service;

(d) any labour required during any period when Uganda is at war or in case of any emergency or calamity which threatens the life and well-being of the community, to the extent that the requiring of the labour is reasonably justifiable in the circumstances of any situation arising or existing during the period or as a result of the emergency or calamity, for the purpose of dealing with that situation; or

(e) any labour reasonably required as part of reasonable and normal communal or other civic obligations.