Govt tells cultural leaders to join fight against GBV
Ms Peace Mutuuzo, the State minister for Gender and Culture. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- A total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020, and 196,499 in the first six months of 2021, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The government has asked cultural and religious leaders to help it fight violence against girls and women.
Addressing the leaders at a conference in Kampala yesterday, Ms Peace Mutuuzo, the State Minister for Gender and Culture, expressed worry over the rising violence against women and girls.
“The establishment of Commitment of the Council of Traditional Leaders of Africa (COTLA) was to promote ending gender-based violence (GBV) and all harmful practices. COTLA promotes sexual reproductive health rights and increased access to justice for women,” she said.
The meeting, which attracted officials from the United Nations and Swedish embassy, came at a time when the country is observing 16 days of activism against gender-bases violence (GBV).
“We are categorically opposed to negative cultural practices that undermine the rights of women and girls,” Mr Benson Tungwako, the interim chairperson of COTLA, said.
Sheikh Mohammad Ali Waiswa, who represented Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, said it was absurd that men are not following teachings in the Quran and Bible that emphasise protection of women.
He said violence against any woman is equivalent to violence against one’s own mother.
“Pregnancies of young school girls have risen [by] 30 percent since the outbreak of Covid-19,” Shiekh Waiswa said, asking government to prosecute perpetrators.
Teenage pregnancies
A total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020, and 196,499 in the first six months of 2021, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Ms Adekemi Ndieli, the UN Women representative to Uganda, urged religious and traditional leaders to to sensitise communities on wide-reaching societal impacts of the vice. “This [violence against women and girls] is the most pervasive human rights violation, globally,” she said.
Ms Maria Håkansson, the ambassador of Sweden, said: “I am confident that cultural and religious leaders have a transformative role in tackling root causes of gender inequality and GBV by speaking out, based on both a moral and social concern.”
