Men key to girl-child devt, says First Lady
Officiating. Ms Dorothy Kisaka (right), the governance advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, unveils the girl’s flourish world shoe at the first Girl Child Awards in Kampala on Friday. COURTESY PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Ms Museveni noted that in order to nurture girls who are abused along the path of their adolescent development, to wipe away their tears and embrace them when their femininity is threatened, it takes a heart of a fellow woman.
The First Lady, who is also the minister for Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni, has acknowledged the positive role men play in nurturing girls and women in society.
In her speech read by Ms Dorothy Kisaka, the governance advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, at the first Girl Child Awards in Kampala on Friday, Ms Museveni said: “We celebrate the husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. These are fellow nurturers of our girls. The nurturing of girls is the responsibility of both gender, and we cherish the support and cheer of our men.”
Ms Museveni added that the world the girl-child is growing in today is very different and presents new joys but equally many challenges.
“The typical mother in our setting wakes up early to go to work to make a living and while we should celebrate the role of women in the workplace, it presents the challenge of who looks after the little ones at home. To successfully raise today’s girl-child into a woman of substance, of character, it takes sacrifice, wisdom, collaboration with others,” she added.
Ms Museveni noted that in order to nurture girls who are abused along the path of their adolescent development, to wipe away their tears and embrace them when their femininity is threatened, it takes a heart of a fellow woman.
The Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Ms Janat Mukwaya, in her speech read by Mr Mondo Kyateka, said some of the things that are harmful to the girl-child are dressed in cultural gaps. “So, it is important to hold the cultural leaders in this battle to undo some of the negative cultural things that are dis-empowering to the girl child, and, I know together we can climb mountains,” Ms Mukwaya said.
Ms Rosa Malango, the United Nations (UN) resident coordinator, advised girls to always believe in themselves.
At end of the event, the girl’s flourish world shoe was unveiled on behalf of Ms. Museveni. It will be handed over to Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, the first lady of Burundi, to advance the idea of collaborative action to reach and empower every girl-child for a brighter tomorrow.
Awarded. Solomon Kaweesa and Faridah Nakazibwe
The awards
Girls Flourish in partnership with United Nations (UN) Women, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development held the first Girl Child Awards in Kampala on Friday.
The Girl Child Awards are an initiative to celebrate individuals, institutions and brands whose work is helping to empower the girl child for a brighter tomorrow.
Some of the night’s awardees included Nation Media Group; NTV journalists Solomon Kaweesa and Faridah Nakazibwe, who were recognised for their role in continuously addressing girl-child related issues in their respective media platforms.
