By Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
MBARARA
The Centre for Women in Development (CEWODE) has issued an urgent call to action to protect defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Uganda. During a press conference on July 3, 2024 at Agip Motel in Mbarara, CEWODE highlighted the increasing discrimination, stigma, and violence faced by these defenders, who are often perceived as threatening social norms and traditional gender stereotypes.
CEWODE urged the Uganda Government to fulfill its obligations to respect, protect, and promote women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, and called on the Uganda Human Rights Commission and other monitoring bodies to investigate rising violations of these rights. The organization also appealed to members of society to respect sexual and reproductive health and rights, and to lawyers to offer legal representation to defenders under attack.
CEWODE called on the media to raise public awareness of the discrimination faced by defenders and on civil society organizations to engage with authorities to ensure a safe working environment for defenders. Kentaro Suzan, coordinator at CEWODE, urged development partners to provide financial support for projects protecting defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
CEWODE emphasized the need to address harmful effects of hostile public policies and narratives and to prioritize security and protection of defenders. She noted that they plan to empower sex workers to find alternative sources of income, recognizing that trading sex for money can be harmful and exploitative.
The organization’s director, Donah Kyomugisha, emphasized that defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights are entitled to carry out their work without harassment, intimidation, or fear. CEWODE’s call to action aims to promote gender equality, empower women, and ensure access to justice, peace, and good governance for women and girls in Uganda.
Asiimwe Dorothy, a health worker and member of CEWODE, challenged the Ministry of Health and government to allow young girls access to family planning methods to avoid consequences like abortions, dropping out of school, and death. She called upon everyone to join them in advocating for legal abortion.
Abortion in Uganda, like in many other African countries, is legal only when performed to save a woman’s life. However, the Ugandan law is restrictive, unclear, and not conclusive, limiting access to safe and legal abortion. Every woman has the recognized human right to decide freely and responsibly without coercion and violence on the number, spacing, and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health.
Asiimwe noted that access to legal and safe abortion, as a pillar of safe motherhood, is critical for the realization of these rights. CEWODE’s call to action is a crucial step towards ensuring that defenders of sexual and reproductive health and rights can work without fear of persecution, and that women and girls in Uganda can exercise their rights to sexual and reproductive health and well-being.
