NATIONAL
The government of Uganda has formally undone its pledge to provide free sanitary pads to all school-going girls citing out inadequate funding.
This was revealed by the minister of gender, Betty Amongi Akena during a parliamentary session to mark International Women’s Day on March 8.
It should be recalled that during the 2016 presidential election campaigns, President Museveni pledge to provide free sanitary towels to all young women in schools one way of keeping girls in school by promoting menstrual hygiene. However, nearly 10 years later, the government has revoked its promise.
“We need the support of parliament to increase domestic financing for gender equality and girl-child and women empowerment. This will help supplement external funding which is currently under threat due to geopolitical trends,” said Amongi.
The remarks followed concerns raised by the Luweero district woman MP, Brenda Nabukenya over lack of sanitary pads for female inmates in various prisons in Uganda.
“We have women in prisons who do not have access to sanitary pads,” said Nabukenya.
She noted that many of the female inmates she recently visited and interacted with complained about lack of sanitary towels, urging the government to take urgent actions.
However, the minister insisted that the government does not have adequate funds to finance this initiative. This is not the first time the government says suspends this promise. In 2017, the minister of education and wife to president Museveni Tibuhaburwa; First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni shocked the nation after she announced that there was no money for providing the sanitary towels to school girls.
