Women to boycott celebrations of their day over service delivery
A section of women who have vowed not to join the rest of the world to celebrate International Women's day tomorrow, display their placards in protest in Kampala earlier today on grounds that there is nothing to celebrate about. Photo by Anthony Wesaka
KAMPALA.
A section of women have vowed not to celebrate tomorrow’s International Women’s day in protest of government failure to deliver on women basic and necessary health services.
The aggrieved women also in their justification not to celebrate their day claim that as poor women, they have been forgotten by their leaders especially the female legislators who don’t push for women issues.
“We express our disappointment for the lives of women that are lost every day in Uganda while giving birth. This tragedy is because our health workers are not paid adequate salary and the same doesn’t come in time...” said Ms Lukia Nasubunga, a community mobiliser attached to a civil society organization, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD).
Ms Nasubunga was addressing the press today in Kampala ahead of tomorrow’s International Women’s day celebrations.
“The MPs whom we voted for are enjoying hefty salaries and are not minding about us the low women to pass laws that favour us. Basing on the aforementioned reasons, we see no reason why we should take part in tomorrow’s celebrations,” Ms Nasubunga added.
Speaking on behalf of several civil society organizations, Mr Ibrahim Nsereko from CEHURD, said Uganda like other global countries, has made a commitment to take steps towards the reduction of the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 and end preventable deaths of mothers while giving birth.
However, Mr Nsereko added that despite the government’s commitment to these steps, Uganda still registers a high maternal mortality rate which is at 360 deaths per 100,000 births.
He noted that these deaths of mothers in labor are largely avoidable; a scenario he said is embarrassing to government.
“We cannot continue to see the injustices of women dying from preventable maternal deaths. We call upon government to recruit, allocate and motivate health workers as well as supply necessary basic maternal health commodities in health facilities as part of their human rights obligations,” Mr Nsereko said.
