The government has been asked to strengthen laws against norms and traditional practices that have continued to act as barriers to women's empowerment.
While speaking to the press, Herbert Wandera the Executive Director of Action For Fundamental Change and Development (AFFCAD) a non-governmental organization advocating for sustainable development noted that the available laws still give a chance to the existence of diminishing practices including early marriages, female genital mutilation, marriage by abduction and polygamy among others.
Wandera also stated that the government should come up with regular dialogues with cultural leaders and discuss several ways of eliminating such practices, noting that working together would ease the fight.
“If cultural leaders are brought on board and engaged, they can talk to men, different cultural institutions and ensure that women are valued, given space and empowered, then we shall see them in positions that we want them to be in, especially in decision making,” Wandera said
He also showed their commitment to work together with the government in ensuring that women easily access resources, especially finances and entrepreneurial skills so that they can improve their standards of living.
At the same event Luzindana David the Chairman of Katoogo Zone Bwaise III revealed that women in slum areas try to tap into government financial empowerment programs such as the Parish Development Model however due to lack of enough sensitization they fail to appropriately use them.
He added that some men take empowerment funds from their wives.” Some women get money from PDM but unfortunately, men steal it from them and run away, this becomes a very big challenge that continues to keep them at a low status” Luzindana narrated.
The remarks were made at the post-Women's Day commemoration event organized by Action For Fundamental Change and Development (AFFCAD) in collaboration with Open Space
