Rape Hurts Foundation

Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) is a women-led, survivor-centered non-governmental organization based in Uganda, working to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) while advancing the rights, dignity, and socio-economic empowerment of women, girls, and children. Founded and led by a survivor-turned-human rights defender, RHF operates with a strong rights-based, feminist, and community-driven approach that places survivors at the center of all interventions. RHF was established in response to the widespread prevalence of rape, defilement, domestic violence, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence in Uganda, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. These violations are deeply interconnected with poverty, harmful social norms, climate-related stressors, limited access to education, weak justice systems, and economic dependency. RHF recognizes that effective GBV response must go beyond emergency care to address the structural and systemic factors that perpetuate violence and inequality. The Foundation works across four integrated pillars: prevention, protection, empowerment, and advocacy. Through its SGBV prevention and response programs, RHF provides survivors with safe spaces, psychosocial support, emergency assistance, legal aid, referrals, and accompaniment through justice and health systems. The organization also conducts community awareness and education campaigns targeting men, women, youth, and community leaders to challenge harmful gender norms and promote positive masculinities. Economic empowerment is a core strategy of RHF. Through the Bukyerimba Vocational & Skilling Center and its social enterprise arms, RHF equips survivors and vulnerable women and girls with practical, income-generating skills such as tailoring, crafts, agribusiness, solar-powered enterprises, and small business development. These initiatives are designed to reduce economic vulnerability, strengthen resilience, and enable survivors to rebuild dignified and independent lives. RHF also integrates climate justice and sustainability into its programming, recognizing the link between environmental stressors and increased GBV risks. The organization has implemented climate-smart solutions such as solar-powered water systems, bakeries, street lighting, and refrigeration to ease unpaid care burdens, improve safety, and create green livelihood opportunities for women and youth. At the advocacy level, RHF engages in policy dialogue, research, documentation, and coalition-building to influence laws, policies, and institutional practices related to women’s rights, GBV prevention, climate justice, and access to services. RHF collaborates with local authorities, civil society networks, national and international partners to amplify survivor voices and promote systemic change. Guided by values of dignity, accountability, inclusion, and solidarity, Rape Hurts Foundation is committed to building safer, more just, and resilient communities where women, girls, and children can live free from violence and realize their full potential.