Amongi commends UNFPA for support towards ending GBV

Jan 19, 2022

Amongi also commended the UN agency for addressing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sebei and Karamoja regions which she said facilitated cross-border engagements to curb the vice

The Gender Minister, Amongi Betty (4th left), UNFPA Country Rep. Dr. Mary Otieno (3rd left) and other staff after the meeting in Kampala

Cecilia Okoth
Journalist @New Vision

Gender minister Betty Amongi has commended the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for its tireless efforts in mobilizing resources for sustaining gender equality and women empowerment interventions in Uganda. 

According to Amongi, the financial and technical support rendered to the Ministry and other government entities has made it possible to have the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Policy in place, among other instruments that guide GBV programming. 

“We have developed the national training manual for the social welfare workforce, which is a key resource in service delivery for GBV survivors,” the Minister said. 

She was speaking during a meeting with the new UNFPA Country Representative, Dr. Mary Otieno at the ministry headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday. 
The Gender Minister Betty Amongi  (R) with the UNFPA Country Rep. Dr. Mary Otieno after the meeting in Kampala

The Gender Minister Betty Amongi (R) with the UNFPA Country Rep. Dr. Mary Otieno after the meeting in Kampala

Otieno replaces Alain Sibenaler who served for four years and six months. 

Amongi also commended the UN agency for addressing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sebei and Karamoja regions which she said facilitated cross-border engagements to curb the vice and also enabled the generation of local commitment of the FGM practicing communities through declarations on the abandonment of the vice. 

 “All this has resulted in greater community appreciation of the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation. In November 2021, the ministry hosted the Inter-Ministerial Regional Cross Border meeting with the counterparts from Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia. The outcome was a recommitment to eradicate FGM across the borders, with the engagement of the highest levels of political leadership and allocation of requisite financial and human resources,” Amongi noted. 

Speaking briefly on the recent spike in child marriages and teenage pregnancies, the minister revealed that they were finalizing plans to implement a national campaign led by the First Lady to bring an end to the vices. 

Dr. Otieno emphasized the need to score on Sustainable Goal number 5 on Gender Equality as a cornerstone of achieving on all the other goals.  

She described child marriages and teenage pregnancies as multi-sectoral issues that need to be tackled through empowering young women and girls with evidence-based information in a cultural and age-appropriate approach.  

She pledged UNFPA’s continued support to the ministry’s interventions geared towards gender equality and women’s empowerment.   

Angela Nakafeero, the commissioner gender and women affairs at the ministry said GBV had dropped from 51% in 2016 to 45% in the current national survey done by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.  

She, however, noted that sexual and work-related violence had increased over the same period, which calls for more concerted efforts. 

“As a remedy, we have strengthened the male involvement to have men and boys that support gender equality,” Nakafeero said. 

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