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People with mental disorders demand conjugal rights

Oscar Walukhu Wakooli, a disability advocate (right), speaks during an awareness campaign on sexual reproductive health rights for people living with mental disorder in Jinja District last weekend. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- Most people with mental illness suffer from bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, among others.
People living with mental disorder (PMD) in Busoga Sub-region have complained over denial of conjugal rights and rights to have children .
They said that despite their desire to form relationships and start families, they are often rejected and stigmatised by society.
Ms Rose Dalia, a resident of Buwenda–Mafubira in Jinja Southern Division, said they are denied the opportunity by care givers and their parents to choose partners and have children.
“We want to get married, but caretakers say they can’t take care of us and at the same time our offsprings. Care takers need to be sensitised,’’ she said.
Mr Latifu Nyende, a 28-year-old resident, said: “I try as much as possible to be economically independent but when you convince someone and she accepts to fall in love with you, people inform her that you are mentally ill. That is how I have been losing most of the relationships.’’
Ms Joan, a resident of Buwenge rural in Jinja District, who also has psychosocial disorder, said she is rejected every time she reveals her mental health status.
“I had to hide my mental illness to get a lover. Currently, I am pregnant, but I am worried that in case my husband finds out, I will be rejected,’’ she said.
Ms Bridget Nakigozi, who suffers bipolar disorder, said some of their caretakers deny them a right to have children.
“They make decisions for us; they remove our uteruses to reduce the alleged burden. They prevent us from conceiving, yet we can have normal children, and we can sustain our families,’’ she said.
Ms Irene Isiko, a teacher by profession, who is also an advocate for PMD, said there are very few people with psychosocial disability who are enjoying a right to family. She said most victims are forced into family planning methods.
“If you want to marry, they discourage you on the grounds that you cannot make it. Others are forced to remove the uterus, men are sterilised to prevent them from having children,’’ she said.
Ms Betty Enangu Nangoli, a human rights officer for Uganda Human Rights Commission, Jinja branch, said it is crucial to involve people with psychosocial disorder in all decisions that concern their lives.
“We must involve them in all the processes that may result into something that will affect their lives. They have to first consent on issues of family planning,’’ she said.
Mr Oscar Walukhu Wakooli, a disability advocate, said there must be amendments to some laws so that people with psychosocial disabilities enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights.
“Some laws like Marriage Act, Customary Marriage Registration Act , Hindu Marriage and Divorce , Divorce Act , all these laws were made before the United Nation Convention on the Right of Persons With Disability was enacted and they still contain certain provisions that are derogatory,’’ he said .
Mr Wakooli added that most marriages of people with mental disorders are described as null and void on the ground that the victims lack mental capacity to consent to marriage.
Human rights advocates under associations like Triumph Mental Health support, Uganda Mental Health Fellowship, ‘Atanekontole’, in collaboration with Uganda Human Rights and Disability Rights Funds, have now embarked on the campaign of advocating for sexual and reproductive health rights to ensure that people with mental illness also have a right to have a family.
Ms Robina Nakanwagi, the disability rights advocates with Triumph Uganda Mental Health Support, who has been with mental health disorder since her adolescent stage, said there are few people with psychosocial disability that are enjoying their right to family.
“We have decided to introduce a project on the right to sexual reproductive rights, especially on the right to marry and form a family. If other people are enjoying this right, it should also be enjoyed by persons with psychosocial disability,’’ said Ms Nakanwagi who has been with her husband for 34 years.
Mr Daniel Yiga, the country director of My Story Initiative, who has suffered mental disorder since he was 13-years-old, said according to the research they conducted, of 10 people with mental illness, two are married.
“We have many youth but most of them are not married because most people think they are of unsound mind, yet they are also human beings. We don’t need sympathy like the charity model, we need support,’’ he said.
Mr Yiga, who suffers from anxiety, said there is a lot of stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities.
“Persons with psychosocial disabilities are overlooked, they believe they cannot marry. They must involve them in their decision-making process until they have reached a season when they are vulnerable,’’ he said.
Most people with mental illness suffer from bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, among others.