Children should be involved in key decision making processes to ensure their ideas and voices are captured when arriving at solutions to challenges they face, Joyce Abaliwano, the Busoga Kingdom Minister for Children and Women Affairs, recently said a regional consultation meeting at Busoga Lukiko Hall in Jinja City.
The minister emphasized the importance of active child participation noting that there is a need for a balanced empowerment approach.
“While focusing on girls’ empowerment is crucial, we must not neglect boys. An empowered girl alongside a less empowered boy creates an imbalance that may lead to gender-based violence,” she said.
In the same spirit, Busoga Kingdom, in collaboration with child rights organizations under the ‘She Leads’ programme, plans to set up a Children’s Parliament to amplify the voices of children.
The idea is to address challenges in the region like teenage pregnancies, child marriages, school dropouts, children’s rights, among other issues.
Betty Habene, President of the Busoga Girls and Young Women Alliance, reinforced the She Leads program’s goal of increasing the influence of girls and young women in decision-making.
Paul Mudoba, Project Manager for the Multi-Community Based Development Initiative (MUCOBADI), reported significant progress in empowering girls and young women.
