NEWS– The Kanungu district woman Member of Parliament Hon Kinshaba Patience Nkunda has rallied women in Kanungu district to say no to all forms of elimination and discrimination that may put the women and girls off track.
This was contained in her speech as the guest of honour read to women at Kanungu district main stadium by Claudia Orikyiriza the Bugongi Sub County Speaker as Kanungu district women celebrated belated women’s day under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.
Nkunda asked Ugandans to advocate for the liberation of rural women and girls towards the middle income status.
“Say no to all forms of injustices and discrimination to girl child and women” Mp Nkunda to women.
She requested women, girls, boys and men to fully participate in Parish Development Model for develope their Parishes and families.
Ambrose Amanyire Mwesigye, the Kanungu Resident District Commissioner implored women to know their place and play their role in shaping an equitable future, urging men and women to collectively protect young people especially the girl child from sexual abuse.
He asked religious leaders to preach love and forgiveness in their respective churches so that it can help them to curb the increasing cases of domestic violence in Kanungu district and Uganda at large.
He reminded men that women also have rights over family property and this should not always be mixed with traditional social beliefs to victimise them.
The Kanungu district chairperson Sam Arineitwe Kajojo used the same function to ask men to respect their wives because they pass through a number of challenges to raise children and taking care of families.
He said that women should thank this government and President Museveni for entrusting them with big positions in government like the Prime Minister, Vice President, Speakership among others.
Kajojo gave an example of women constesting on big positions like district chairperson citing the former Kanungu district chairperson Josephine Kasya who ruled Kanungu district for 20 years and now over 5 women are in that position across Uganda which shows how powerful women are now in Uganda.
He extended his gratitude to the K16 girls, a Kanungu women activists group for being proactive with a focus on raising a progressive girl child and also puting in more efforts towards the development of Kanungu through the Uganda Industrial research Institute that extended support in form of equipment to promote skilling of a girl child.
Here he (Kajojo) called upon all girls to take advantage of this to acquire practical and skills that will transform their lives.
“You can not only depend on a pen but you need a skill to support it”, Kajojo told women.
The district boss further encouraged Parents not to only concentrate on girls but also boys because there are many failed marriages due to husband’s lack of knowledge about the institution.
Annet Kyinanga the Kanungu District women Council Chairperson thanked President Museveni for considering women in big offices and requested for more funding in UWEP to help them in business enterprises and development of their families.
Kyinanga said that in Kanungu district, they have 156 UWEP groups consisting of 1,128 women most of whom have already benefited from the fund worth Ugx 1.4 billion from the government.
Asiimwe Allen, the Kihihi High School Deputy Headteacher who represented the Chairperson and Members of Kanungu girls Network K16 said that although women’s rights have been raised, they’re still being challenged in securing loans since they do not have property for security.
She urged them to embrace government programs such as the PDM, UWEP, Emyooga among others meant to alleviate poverty from their families and community.