Do not repeal Equal Opportunities Act!

Sep 29, 2004

SIR— The Government’s White Paper poses a serious threat <br>to the strides that marginalised groups such as women, people with disabilities, the youth, minority ethnic groups, etc, have achieved thus far.

SIR— The Government’s White Paper poses a serious threat
to the strides that marginalised groups such as women, people with disabilities, the youth, minority ethnic groups, etc, have achieved thus far. Government is recommending the scrapping of Article 32(2) of the Constitution (see p.62), which provides for the establishment of an Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) - the watchdog body with a special mandate to effect substantive equality for marginalised groups. In the first instance, government had failed and/or refused to set up the body since 1995. Now it wants to merge it with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). Given that the UHRC is overburdened and under-funded, such a proposal is scandalous and unacceptable.
Indeed the recommendation is a telling demonstration of the backlash against our struggles for equality and justice for these groups.
It also confirms what many of us have always pointed out — that the NRM government does not have the political will to put into place the high-sounding rhetoric about the concerns and needs of marginalised groups.
Theoretically, all Ugandans have equal opportunity to run for political office, compete for jobs, access to education, etc, but we all know what forces work against women, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups when they attempt to take up such opportunities.
Members of Parliament, the ball is in your court to protect the gains that women and other minority and marginalised groups have achieved.
Please do not scrap Article 32(2) of the 1995 Constitution.

Sylvia Tamale
Makerere University

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