Gender minister Betty Amongi has challenged leaders of various cultural institutions to spearhead the fight against rampant teenage pregnancies and violence against women across their kingdoms and chiefdoms.
While officiating as a chief guest at the launch of the five-year strategic plan to fight violence against women and girls by the Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTLA) in Kampala yesterday, Amongi emphasized that some cultural norms continue to undermine government efforts to elevate women.
Statistics from the United Nations Population Fund (UNPA) indicate that at least 32, 000 teenagers got pregnant every month in Uganda between 2020 and 2021- during the Covid-19 pandemic when schools were closed.
Additionally, the 2020 survey on violence against women and girls by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) established that 95 per cent of Ugandan women and girls experienced physical or sexual violence or both.
Speaking on behalf of Ugandan kings, Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Achana II accused development partners, including government, of sidelining cultural institutions in the implementation of the efforts to fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Rwot Achana II further pledged COTLA’s commitment to work with stakeholders to ensure equity for all.
