PROMOTERS: Lydia, Nakaweesi, Amanda Sserumaga, Sarah Mukasa and other fans after addressing journalists at Kamwokya & BITTER: Matembe talks (right)

By F.Ahimbisibwe
and Grace Wafula
FORMER Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity, Miria Matembe, yesterday joined The Vagina Monologues campaign, saying the play should not have been banned by the Media Council.

Matembe said the ban was a move by the Government and the council to silence the victims of domestic violence and sexual harassment by men.

“The play was meant to show the suffering of the women at all levels but it has been banned because it was raising issues that point at the abuses being faced by women. If it were the men staging it, I think it would have been allowed,” she said.

“Men want this kind of suffering to continue without mention but we are saying no and show them that what they are doing is hurting women,” Matembe added.

Matembe, a born-again Christian, was yesterday addressing a press conference called by the organisers of the controversial play at the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) headquarters in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb.

“I call upon the women of this country to stay calm but we shall pursue this matter at another level. This is a genuine cause and we must put our support behind it. The Media Council cannot ban this play when it has failed to ban the Red Pepper, which publishes worse things,” Matembe said.

She also lashed out at ethics and integrity minister Tim Lwanga and State minister for information Nsaba Buturo for failing to curb the spread of pornographic material throughout the country.

“Why are they jumping on The Vagina Monologues when they have not done anything to other publications that promote indecent acts. All of them are hypocrites and I don’t think they read the play to analyse the issues being raised other than blaming the play for the moral decadence in this country,” she said.

Makerere University Dean of the Law faculty and human rights activist Dr. Syliva Tamale also said the ban was uncalled for.

“This is just another example to show that there is no freedom of expression in this country. The ministers who are raising moral questions about the play received sh5m to support the third term. They have no moral grounds to reject the play. Why have they not banned the Red Pepper if they are against pornography?” she asked.

The organisers of the play said they would not pursue the matter in court.

Sarah Mukasa of Akina Mama wa Afrika, Solome Nakaweesi Kimbugwe of UWONET, Jessica Nkuuhe of ISIS-WICCE, Amanda Sserumaga of ActionAid and Rita Aciro addressed the journalists.

A statement issued said, “It is ironic that a vast amount of energy and resources has been spent on condemning the use of the word vagina rather than condemning the actual violations that the play clearly addresses. This is tantamount to silencing women’s voices and is and has always been, the major obstacle in addressing violence against women in a substantive way.”
Ends