The Uganda Police Force Annual Crime 2024 report indicated that Buyende district is number one when it comes to cases of defilement and number two in common assault. It also ranks highly when it comes to child neglect.
The Police Crime records indicate that Buyende topped defilement crime with 210 girls defiled, came second in common assault with 680 and 133 children suffered from neglect.
To mitigate these challenges, Plan International and its partners, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), SHARE with her consortium, FAWE, Right to Play, Water Aid and FHI, Caritas Jinja, Mama Africa, Community of practice and Girls Advocacy Clubs in Buyende have raised a red flag and called for action on ending teenage pregnancies and child marriages vices.
Presenting the call to action during the Buyende District Women’s Day celebrations held at Kirimbi Primary School, Saida Naigaga, the Plan International KOICA Adolescent Champion urged leaders and all stakeholders to stand with the girl child against these vices which are not only a violation of their rights but also morally wrong.
“It is time to take bold and collective action to protect the rights and potentials of girls. Teenage pregnancy and early marriage rob young girls off their potential, future and dignity. Our call to action is that together as one, let us stand up against these vices, be the change, protect and empower the girls,” she called.
Decrying the effect of teenage pregnancy and early marriage, the callers to action pointed out that teenage regnacy limits educational opportunities, exposes young girls to health risks while early marriages lead to early school drop outs, economic dependence, stunted empowerment lading to a generational cycle of poverty.
Miria Kagoda Kafuko, the FAWE Uganda Girls Empowerment Movement chairperson from Premiere College Gwase, challenged government to come out clear on provision of sanitary pads to girls to help them stay in school comfortably.
She also voiced to include wash and changing rooms in the institutions building plans in addition to supporting girls education and access to reproductive health services so that the girls make informed choices, decisions.
“It is very ironical that government provides free condoms to men and finds it not important and relevant to provide girls too with free sanitary pads when even the Minister of education, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime ministers are women who should know the big need for pads to women and girls,” Kafuko said.
East Africa Legislative Assembly MP, Veronica Babirye Kadogo, pointed out that addressing these vices in the district requires a multifaceted approach that tackles the root causes, provides support to affected individuals and engages the community in creating lasting change.
Kadogo challenged political, cultural and religious leaders to lead, condone and aggressively fight these vices in their fora, programs, manifestos and sermons.
Kadogo, a former Woman MP Buyende district, and an International Girls Advocacy crusader, pledged to take the girls plight and NGOs call to action to various stakeholders and levels and have communities working to end harmful social norms that inhibit girls’ development and attainment of their full potentials.
“The call to action to end teenage pregnancies and early marriages should in reality shock all of us to rise up, swing into action so as to create an environment where every girl stays and completes school, pursues her dreams and lives a life free from the scare of early marriages, defilement etc,” Kadogo called.
Kadogo added that there is need for policy, budgetary and social streamlining to provide quality adolescent friendly, gender responsive and inclusive sexual reproductive health services, parenting up scaling and revival to value and appreciate the girl child challenges.
In response Buyende district council chairperson, Michael Kanaku, rallied the media as a fourth estate and watchdog advocate to set the agenda, create awareness and demand accountability.
He called for strengthening of the referral pathways, quick response to crime reports and hunt down of parents who thrive in early marriage and defilement business only reporting to Police when negotiations fail.
Good work done bambi 👏 thanks for your support from a community development and social justice practitioner kyambogo university