Source: All Africa
As November 25 ushers in the international 16 Days Against Violence activism, there is an image from my childhood that I will never forget. On one evening a neighbour ran into our home stark naked with bruises and blood all over her body.

Now even though this woman was famous around the neighbourhood for her domestic theatrics, even my five-year-old self then realised that this was a very serious issue. The woman was subjected to beatings constantly by her husband but this was a climax of sorts. Now, as couples are wont to do, she and her husband 'sorted' out the issue and were soon reconciled.

But the beatings never stopped and the last time I checked, she was still with her husband but both her health and esteem were very frail. Then there are scenes from a movie directed by Tyler Perry, For Colored Girls, in which a violent insecure man constantly abuses his girlfriend and finally drops their two children from the window of their fifth floor apartment because he thinks she is cheating on him and because she refuses to marry him.

Domestic violence, has many forms, including physical aggression, threats, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, control, intimidation, stalking, neglect and economic deprivation. In Uganda this is a vice that is hard to fight because even though the domestic violence law in Uganda has been passed it has not been much effected.This has not been helped by attitudes of people.

A Uganda Bureau of Statistics report published in 2007 revealed that 60 percent of men and 70 percent of women in Uganda think it's okay for a man to beat his wife. A friend of mine says that her tribe believes that physical violence from one's husband shows that he cares enough to beat you. That women are like children and need to be beaten every once in a while! Every woman, therefore has the responsibility to prevent domestic violence. By choosing to refuse to accept violence from their partners and empowering other women to do so.

• Uganda