By Our Reporter
Jovah Kamateeka (Mitooma Woman) has asked parents to lead the provision of sanitary pads to their girls instead of folding their hands and wait on Government to provide for their children.
Kamateeka, who also doubles as the Chairperson of Parliament Committee on Human Rights made the remarks on Wednesday at Parliament while addressing journalists on the activities lined up for the 16 days of activism to end Gender Based Violence.
During her address, Kamateeka called on Government to put emergency sanitary pads in schools for the girl child and urged parents to stop waiting for government to fulfill their parental duties of providing for their children.
“We are working with the Civil Society to make sure that schools put in place sanitary pads for emergency so that a child whose menstruation starts without the knowledge of her days, can get a pad from the matron. But I would like to call upon parents with daughters to plan for them instead of waiting for Government,” Kamateeka said.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Azaire Nshaija (Kamwenge Woman MP) who also doubles as the UWOPA Treasurer gave a glimpse into how deep-rooted gender-based violence is in Uganda revealing that during this year’s celebrations, the campaign will shine the spotlight on the girls and women’s experiences of sexual harassment.
According to figures available, more than 1 in five women aged 15-49 experienced sexual violence compared to 8% of men while 56% of ever-married women and 44% of ever-married men have experienced spousal violence according to the Uganda Demographic Survey 2016 and the national teenage pregnancies rate is 24.8% among girls aged 15-19 years.
Additionally, statistics from the Uganda Police Force annual crime report 2017 on the Gender-Based Violence indicates that crimes in that category have increased with domestic violence accounting for 15,325, defilement 14,985, child neglect 10,021, sex-related crimes 16,862.
