Towards Inclusive Social Assistance for Marginalised People in East and Northeast Uganda

The negative impacts of crises on marginalised people’s lives are exacerbated by intersecting inequalities. However, there is limited knowledge about the layered effects of marginalisation and protracted crises; what this means for how people cope and access social assistance in particular crisis contexts; and how to address the connected material, emotional, relational and socio-political issues. This research tackles this gap by generating understandings about the social assistance experiences of marginalised people in east and northeast Uganda, and insight into how the relations and processes needed for safer, more dignified, inclusive, effective, and accountable provision might be fostered through inclusive participatory processes. During phase 1, we used qualitative, narrative, creative, and participatory methodologies with peer researchers, people with disabilities, older people, widows, single mothers, and orphans in the remote, insecure and poorly serviced Teso and Karamoja sub-regions. Phase 2 brought group participants and the research team together to collectively analyse the data, synthesise key insights, and develop recommendations and solutions. Phase 3 involved participants in dialogue with social assistance stakeholders to influence improvements in provision.

We found that protracted crises in Uganda greatly aggravate the issues that marginalised people face when navigating access to social assistance. In particular, the most marginalised people in east and northeast Uganda, who face intersecting inequalities, are already harmed by exclusion and adverse inclusion; but multiple crises significantly intensify their support needs, often tipping them into unliveable life circumstances, destitution and desperation. Current social assistance provision is fundamentally inadequate, providing at most temporary and superficial relief, and it considerably exacerbates people’s marginalisation, with marked material, physical and emotional impacts. It is imperative that policymakers and social assistance providers think much more deeply, thoroughly and critically about how social assistance can be implemented in safer, more inclusive, effective and dignified ways, to better support the nuanced and exacerbated needs of marginalised people in protracted crises.