Stop kneeling before men, Maggie Kigozi tells women

Former Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) boss Dr Maggie Kigozi, has asked women and girls to stop kneeling before anyone, saying it is dangerous.

Most cultures in Uganda require woman to kneel not only before her husband, but every male and people older than her. Men, on the other hand, do not do so for the most part, except say before royalty.

Speaking at the girl champion awards, an annual platform that identifies and celebrates outstanding girls, individuals and organisations that are making a difference in the lives of girls in Uganda, Kigozi said when women kneel it puts them in a vulnerable position.

“Young children are being trained to kneel before big people in public even on Kampala Road. It is dangerous. The practice is not safe for a girl child who is kneeling on the ground before that adult man to run away in case that person wants to rape her. When kneeling down, you cannot suddenly get up and run.

“What these men do is to trick you to kneel down before them, then they go to a quiet place and as you are kneeling down they do whatever they want to do. By the time you realise his intentions, you are down on the ground and cannot run away, but if you are standing and he tries to touch you, just turn and run away,” she said.

Kigozi said these days, women are not small people so there is no need for them to kneel before any man or woman.

“You are an important woman. Why are you kneeling before anyone, especially men? It shows you are inferior to whoever you are kneeling down before,” she said.

Former ethics and integrity minister Miria Matembe had no kind words for people who expect women to kneel.

“Why should women kneel? If it is about respect to the elders, even boys should kneel. When a woman kneels before her husband in marriage, it shows that her place is down and a man is supreme.

I do not like it and I do not agree with it. It is annoying to see a mother-in-law kneeling for a son-in-law, especially in Busoga and Buganda. In such incidences men should kneel before their mother-in-law because she gave birth to your wife,” Matembe said.

She said women should only kneel while giving birth, but not before anyone because every time a woman kneels before a man, it reinforces her position as the inferior sex.

A woman kneeling is a cherished practice that has lived on for centuries and even the most modern and liberated has to do it at some point.

However, Flavia Rwabuhoro, the Woman MP for Kyegegwa District, said it is okay for a woman to kneel if it is a question of cherishing culture or respect, but kneeling loses meaning if the woman is being forced to do so.

“Whatever you do when the heart is not willing is useless. If women continue to kneel to please others, it does not make sense, especially if the men or that older person does not deserve the respect. However, if you want to show respect and you feel it is okay, you can do it,” Rwabuhoro, who is also the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on gender, said.

Speaking to New Vision, Rhoda Kalema, said education and intermarriages are the reasons kneeling is dying out.

“Kneeling is a sign of respect and respect is a great value in Buganda. When one kneels before the person they honour, they feel good. I grew up kneeling before elders as a sign of respect, even my children grew up kneeling before me, although they have now stopped. Of late, kneeling is dying out because people are in a hurry. They cannot afford to kneel when they have to do other things. People should not put in place a rule that kneeling should stop,” Kalema said.

Next week will be International Day of the Girl Child and the civil society organisations are calling on men to come on board and support women.