Young girls should stand up against harmful cultural barriers that limit their aspirations, the Nabagereka of Buganda Kingdom, Sylvia Nagginda said over the weekend.
According to Nabagereka, over 21,000 cases of abuse were reported against girls during lockdown which undermines efforts of keeping girls safe.
She also said that it is unfortunate that the key culprits are the fathers.
She made the remarks during the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child at Bulange in Mengo
Nabagereka noted that negative cultural practices and actions disguised as forms of discipline should be replaced with positive practices.
The World Vision board chairperson Susan Lubega Busulwa said the lockdown exposed gaps in the different areas that need to be addressed to enable the girl child to thrive.
She cited parenting skills, the effectiveness of child protection structures in communities and the capacity of girls to protect themselves.
Lubega said the scale and extent of violence against children during the lockdown should be a wake-up call for cultural institutions to take action especially at the family level.