How AWAC’s Social Cohesion Dialogues Are Breaking Barriers Between Marginalized Communities and Duty Bearers

Not long ago, Judith Kobusinge would think twice before stepping into a police station.

Like many members of Uganda’s key populations, the former sex worker viewed law enforcement officers with fear and suspicion. Reporting abuse, seeking justice or even asking for help seemed impossible.

Today, that fear has largely disappeared.

“We can talk to them now,” Kobusinge says. “We don’t fear going there.”

Her transformation is one of many stories emerging from a growing initiative by the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC Uganda), which is using Social Cohesion Dialogues to bring together groups that have traditionally viewed one another with mistrust.

The dialogues convene police officers, local leaders, health workers, bar managers, civil society organizations and members of marginalized communities, including female sex workers, transgender persons, men who have sex with men and other key populations.

For AWAC Deputy Executive Director Resty Magezi Kyomukama, the initiative is rooted in a simple belief: people often fear what they do not understand.

“Different stakeholders do not understand each other, not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t have a platform where they can come together and understand each other’s lived experiences,” she explains.

In many communities, interactions between marginalized groups and authorities have historically been characterized by conflict. Police officers have often been viewed as enforcers rather than protectors, while key populations have been misunderstood and stigmatized.

The dialogues seek to change that narrative.

Inside the meeting rooms, participants share personal experiences, frustrations and expectations. The conversations are sometimes uncomfortable, but they are honest.

Kyomukama recalls moments when female sex workers explained the realities behind their choices.

“When a sex worker talks about taking care of children, parents and educating the next generation, police officers begin to see them as human beings facing life just like everyone else,” she said.

The impact of such conversations has been profound

“We have received testimonies from people who told us they used to fear police officers and could not even come close to them. After the dialogues, some officers became their friends,” she says.

The change is also visible among law enforcement officers.

Inspector of Police Ngonzi Tracila, a Community Liaison Officer Hoima district noted that police have increasingly embraced community engagement as a tool for building trust.

“The vulnerability of these groups does not make them less Ugandan,” Tracila says.

She regularly visits communities, entertainment venues and informal settlements to interact directly with vulnerable groups.

“The mere fact that we go where they are, they see us and we see them, is already a good foundation,” she says.

The outreach has yielded practical results. Today, sex workers and other vulnerable persons have direct contacts of police officers they can call when faced with violence, exploitation or other emergencies.

“When a sex worker reports rape, we make sure the case is followed through and that the victim receives the necessary support,” Tracila says.

Beyond improving relationships with police, the dialogues are helping to dismantle stigma that often prevents vulnerable groups from accessing healthcare, justice and economic opportunities.

Assistant Resident City Commissioner Beingana Davis Nkunda Hoima city West Division believes information-sharing is central to the process.

“Information is power,” he says. “Many people have been left out because they lack information.”

Nkunda argues that social cohesion cannot be achieved without involving all stakeholders, including prosecutors, investigators and judicial officers.

“When people understand one another and share experiences, it becomes easier to solve problems and support communities,” he says.

The dialogues are also highlighting broader development concerns. Community leaders are being encouraged to connect vulnerable groups to government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, providing alternative livelihood opportunities.

For many participants, however, the greatest achievement is not economic—it is human.

The simple act of sitting in the same room, listening to one another and acknowledging each other’s struggles is changing perceptions that have persisted for years.

Kyomukama says one indicator of success emerged during the latest dialogue when participants were reluctant to leave.

“As we thought we were running out of time, people felt they needed more time,” she recalls. “For us, it was an indication that the dialogue is still needed.”

For Kobusinge, the value of the initiative is measured not in statistics but in confidence.

“We are empowered and we have knowledge,” she says.

Those words capture the essence of AWAC’s Social Cohesion Dialogues. They are not merely meetings; they are spaces where barriers are dismantled, trust is rebuilt and communities discover that despite their differences, they share many of the same hopes, challenges and aspirations.

One conversation at a time, the distance between marginalized communities and duty bearers is shrinking.

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