Janet Museveni: My daughters married when virgins

KYENJOJO.

First Lady Janet Museveni has said that she kept her daughters virgins until marriage by using traditional African way of bringing up a girl child. 

“I made all my daughters to sign 'true love waits' cards and they would abstain from sex until the wedding night (when) they (would) produce these cards to their spouses," said Ms Museveni adding that "this can be achieved even today”.

Ms Museveni was speaking in Kyenjojo District during the commemoration of the Day for the Girl Child on Thursday. 

She added: “That is how we, in the past, were brought up by our parents, there was no such immorality like now”.

The day was preceded by a dialogue between stakeholders who committed themselves to protect the rights of the adolescent girls.

Ms Museveni’s daughters include Ms Diana Museveni (married to Mr Geoffrey Kamuntu), Ms Natasha Museveni (married to Mr Edwin Karugire) and Ms Patience Museveni (married to Mr Odrek Rwabwogo).

“Whether a man is big or small, say no and run away, a man can use sweet language to persuade you, don’t allow any man to use you when you are a young girl, not even an adolescent boy, no man should engage you in sexual intercourse until you are married, true love waits,” Ms Museveni reiterated to the adolescent girls.

She said that most young girls in Uganda die while giving birth because their bodies are not yet ready to deliver babies.

She rebuked parents who engage with the rape or defilement suspects to settle cases by receiving money.

“Please, parents, stop asking for money to settle rape or defilement cases. The parent is the biggest stakeholder in the development of the girl child,” she said.

She said in the community where she grew up, the community would collectively help in bringing up the child morally which is not the case today. 

“This value has been eroded in our society today but this must be revived,” she said.

She added that the free supply of contraceptives in the country has contributed to the erosion of morals to some extent. 

“The use of contraceptives is not our culture, we no longer have pride to say no, people are given contraceptives to use them and do what they want, have sex, take pills, conceive and abort, this is not our culture in Africa,” she said, adding, “Just say, thank you (to the service providers) our culture does not believe in this, we should protect the values of our society”. 

Ms Museveni who is also the minister for education later launched the national gender in education sector policy that among others, spells how the rights of adolescents should be protected.

It is expected to provide skills and knowledge equally to both girls and boys.