The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked all legislators expose the people behind sexual felonies against girls and women The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked MPs to name and shame men involved in committing sexual offences against girls and women.
Kadaga was speaking at a dialogue meeting held at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala on Wednesday 15th Nov. 2017 between Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) and Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) on ending gender based violence and HIV under the theme; Re-strategizing to reposition and reclaim the power women MPs have in ending violence against women.
“We know most of these criminals raping girls and women because they are amongst us and share high positions with us.” Said Kadaga.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga
Hon. Rebeca Kadaga has asked the MPs to perform their duties by exposing such criminals because the people who sent them to parliament deserve to receive justice.
Kadaga also emphasized that defilement cases are more common in schools and also in homes of the victims and therefore called upon leaders in these schools to talk to their students so that they can be aware of their surrounding and report any dubious people trying to force them into any sexual activities.
“I knew someone who was found to be defiling his daughter; when the Police arrested him, he attempted to get help from me to which I declined because it is totally unacceptable,” Kadaga said.
The Speaker also raised concern over the growing statistics related to gender based violence and HIV infections, generated by UGANET, that indicate; 570 new HIV infections in girls per week and 17,567 defilement cases registered in 2016 up from 13,118 in the previous year.
“These statistics are very frustrating because in 1990 in Parliament, I used to talk about the need for a family desk and family courts. This is very unsatisfactory considering the time we have all put to reduce the numbers,” she said.
Kadaga emphasized the need for Members of Parliament and UWOPA to refocus energies on formulating legislation to address the problem.
Dorah Kiconco Musinguzi, the Executive Director of UGANET, has asked to the government to relocate the voice of leaders to champion women causes in ending violence against women.
“We have so many social injustices tied into gender based violence that elevate HIV infections; it is incumbent on us to tie up these loose ends and control these figures,” Musinguzi said.
UGANET is an organization that advocates for the development and strengthening of an appropriate policy, legal, human rights and ethical response to Health and HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
