Africa-Press – Uganda.<\/p>\n
A campaign to curb female genital mutilation (FGM), teenage pregnancies and gender based violence (GBV) has kicked off in eastern Uganda.<\/p>\n
The five-year project, which is being carried out by Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF) in partnership with Men Engage and the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), will take place in six districts.<\/p>\n
Among the districts include Bukwo in Sebei Sub-region, which has been registering numerous cases of FGM despite the practice being outlawed in 2010.<\/p>\n
The other districts where the fight against teenage pregnancy and GBV will take place include Mbale, Busia, Kampala, Kalangala, and Isingiro.<\/p>\n
Rev Fred Musobo, a resident of Bukwo, said at the weekend that FGM has remained in some communities in the district due to primitive cultural beliefs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe practice is being sustained by social perceptions, including that girls will face shame, social exclusion and diminished marriage prospects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rev Musobo said the outlawed practice is still common among the illiterate families, especially in Bukwo and Kween.<\/p>\n
The government banned FGM in 2010, with any person convicted of the practice facing up to 10 years in jail, among other sentences.<\/p>\n
Mr Joseph Soyekwo, a resident of Kween District, said the government needs to join hands with NGOs to end the vice that exposes women to many side effects.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government should also come up with an alternative way to economically motivate the mutilators.<\/p>\n
Since the government banned the practice, they have become unemployed and yetthis was their source of livelihood,\u201d Mr Soyekwo said.<\/p>\n
Mr Patrick Mwesigye, the executive director of UYAHF, said the campaign will empower young girls from communities with information regarding the harmful practices of FGM and earlymarriage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to protect young people from all forms of sexual and GBV.<\/p>\n
We are looking mainly the most vulnerable group of young people especially girls in remote communities,\u201d Mr Mwesigye,said.<\/p>\n
He said the programme will also help to address stigma against girls living with HIV\/Aids and victims of rape and defilement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Africa-Press – Uganda. A campaign to curb female genital mutilation (FGM), teenage pregnancies and gender based violence (GBV) has kicked off in eastern Uganda. The five-year project, which is being carried out by Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF) in partnership with Men Engage and the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":15417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,8,12],"tags":[233,240,234],"class_list":["post-15418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-homepage-english","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-uganda","tag-uganda"],"yoast_head":"\n