MP warns men on marrying minors
Jun 18, 2008
Men in the Rwenzori region should stop marrying underage girls, the Bundibugyo Woman MP, Jane Alisemera, has advised. Alisemera said most of girls had dropped out of school to get married.
By Emmanuel Kajubu
Men in the Rwenzori region should stop marrying underage girls, the Bundibugyo Woman MP, Jane Alisemera, has advised. Alisemera said most of girls had dropped out of school to get married.
“The rate at which men in the Rwenzori region are marrying underage girls is very high and worrying. The men are making the lives of the girls hard and miserable.â€
She said most of the rich cocoa dealers in Kasese and Bundibugyo entice the girls with money. Bundibugyo is one of the leading producers of cocoa in the country.
“Money from cocoa should be used for other purposes, not marrying our young daughters,†she said on Monday during celebrations to mark the Day of The African Child at Buhudu Primary School in Harugale sub-county.
The celebrations, held under the theme “Child Participation: Children to be heard and seenâ€, were organised by Save the Children Uganda.
Alisemera also attacked parents who force their daughters into marriage, saying it had accounted for the high levels of illiteracy in the region.
“Parents should give their daughters the chance to go to school.â€
John Reinstein, the deputy country director of Save the Children Uganda, said children in the region faced problems like child labour and limited access to education.
He appealed to parents, teachers and community leaders to listen to children and involve them in all decisions affecting them.
Over 30 schools in the region took part in the celebrations, characterised by performance of songs and poems highlighting the problems faced by children.
Diana Nandinda, 12, on behalf of all the children in the region, read a petition appealing to the Government to construct more schools and improve the working conditions of teachers.
Present was the Bundibugyo district chairperson, Jackson Bambaliira, Kabarole district deputy chairperson Clovis Mugabo and representatives from different children’s organisations in the region.
Men in the Rwenzori region should stop marrying underage girls, the Bundibugyo Woman MP, Jane Alisemera, has advised. Alisemera said most of girls had dropped out of school to get married.
“The rate at which men in the Rwenzori region are marrying underage girls is very high and worrying. The men are making the lives of the girls hard and miserable.â€
She said most of the rich cocoa dealers in Kasese and Bundibugyo entice the girls with money. Bundibugyo is one of the leading producers of cocoa in the country.
“Money from cocoa should be used for other purposes, not marrying our young daughters,†she said on Monday during celebrations to mark the Day of The African Child at Buhudu Primary School in Harugale sub-county.
The celebrations, held under the theme “Child Participation: Children to be heard and seenâ€, were organised by Save the Children Uganda.
Alisemera also attacked parents who force their daughters into marriage, saying it had accounted for the high levels of illiteracy in the region.
“Parents should give their daughters the chance to go to school.â€
John Reinstein, the deputy country director of Save the Children Uganda, said children in the region faced problems like child labour and limited access to education.
He appealed to parents, teachers and community leaders to listen to children and involve them in all decisions affecting them.
Over 30 schools in the region took part in the celebrations, characterised by performance of songs and poems highlighting the problems faced by children.
Diana Nandinda, 12, on behalf of all the children in the region, read a petition appealing to the Government to construct more schools and improve the working conditions of teachers.
Present was the Bundibugyo district chairperson, Jackson Bambaliira, Kabarole district deputy chairperson Clovis Mugabo and representatives from different children’s organisations in the region.