Legislators\nhave tasked government to increase efforts to end FGM, warning that the\npractice will persist, if not addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nMPs called on government to put emphasis on setting up a special fund for women\ninvolved in the practice as a way of having them leave it, fast track\nstrategies to address FGM across borders as well as involve men in the fight,\nand promote girl child education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncall follows a recent visit by lawmakers\nto Sebei and Karamoja regions where they discovered that the vice is on the\nincrease despite strategies put in place to curb it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meeting\nthe State Minister for Gender, Hon Peace Mutuuzo on 07 August 2019, MPs on the\ncommittees of Equal Opportunities and Education and Sports identified absence\nof alternative sources of livelihoods for those engaged in the practice as one\nof the challenges that need to be addressed. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hon.\nAlbert Lokoru, (NRM, Tepeth County) said that since the approach of\nsensitisation has not yielded good results, there is need to change\nstrategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRecently,\nwe met women who carry out the practice and they handed over their tools but\nasked what they could do as an alternative source of livelihood. These women\nneed income generating activities,\u201d said Lokoru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hon.\nWilliam Nokrach, (PWD, Northern ) argued that the fund will persuade the women\nto abandon the practice, since they currently view it as a source of\nlivelihood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe\nexisting government programmes do not target women practicing FGM, moreover some\nof those government programmes are not effective,\u201d said Nokrach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hon.\nAlex Burundo (NRM, Bulambuli County) warned that FGM will not end if government\ndoes not put in place measures stopping girls from crossing into Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven\nif we stop the practice in Uganda and it is still practiced in Kenya, we shall\nbe doing nothing. I am reliably informed that the Kenyan government is happy to\ntake our girls,\u201d Burundo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hon.\nJovah Kamateeka (NRM, Mitooma district) advised government to include men in\ncampaigns against the practice, if success is to be registered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nhave all come to learn that to succeed in gender parity, men have to get\ninvolved. I don\u2019t know why men are not involved in the campaign against FGM,\u201d\nsaid Kamateeka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nChairperson of Equal Opportunities Committee, Hon Hellen Asamo called for\nincreased empowerment of women saying that women are still afraid of talking\nagainst FGM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven\nsome female MPs from Sebei and Karamoja fear to talk against the practice and\nthey ask some of us to speak on their behalf,\u201d said Asamo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bulisa\ndistrict Woman MP, Hon Norah Bigirwa said that emphasis should be put on\ndemystifying the cultural values attached to FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nneed to put an end to the cultural aspect which views those not mutilated as\nless of women. This means involving cultural leaders and elders in this fight,\u201d\nsaid Bigirwa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nMinister attributed the increase in the practice to a break down in\ninfrastructure during the rainy seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis\nhas made it easy to migrate to Kenya because the law enforcement is low in\nKenya,\u201d said Mutuzo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\nsaid that the Ministry participated in the development of the East African\nRegion Action Plan for addressing FGM across borders. She added that the Action\nplan was domesticated at national level with all stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To\naddress the issue of alternative sources of livelihoods for the women engaged\nin the practice, the minister said that women are encouraged to tap into the\nexisting government programmes including the Youth Livelihood Programme, Social\nAssistance Grant for Elderly Persons and Operation Wealth Creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nare skeptical about tailoring a programme for those engaged in the practice\nbecause it would seem like we are encouraging them to continue with the vice,\u201d\nsaid Mutuzo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FGM\nwas outlawed in Uganda after the enactment of the Female Genital Mutilation Act\nand since then, reports indicate that the practice has reduced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Legislators have tasked government to increase efforts to end FGM, warning that the practice will persist, if not addressed. The MPs called on government to put emphasis on setting up a special fund for women involved in the practice as a way of having them leave it, fast track strategies to address FGM across borders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27983,"featured_media":10593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n