Today’s issue (24/7/08) of the New Vision newspaper has a number of articles on gender related issues. Here is a summary.

Kapchorwa develops law against female circumcision
For many years, female genital mutilation has been practiced among the Sebei in Kapchorwa and Bukwo districts.
The custom is carried out between November and January after every two years. It is done by elderly women using crude knives and razor blades. The practice involves cutting off the outer parts of the gentilia, after which the area is stitched up, leaving a very narrow passage.
The tradition is meant to initiate a girl into womanhood and to lower her sexual pleasure so that she doesn’t get attracted to other men other than her husband.
Information from the Reproductive Education and Community Health (REACH) programme shows that in Tingey county, Kapchorwa, 3.3% of girls between ages of 14 and 18 were recently circumcised. In Kween country, the number is higher at 13.5% of girls in the same age groups.

As they grow older, circumcised women face numerous problems including difficulties during childbirth.
They also find it hard to have sexual intercourse and some of them become disabled.
Fighting the practice gained momentum after Jane Francis Kuka, who effused to get circumcised, started fighting the practice.
Local leaders from the area have joined efforts to curb the traumatic act.Kapchorwa district council is working on an ordinance to ban female genital mutilation. The draft has been read in the council twice recently and the council is waiting to pass it.

 Female MPs team up to fight violence
For 40 years, Damalie Mutyaba of Ivukula in Namutaba district has lived in misery in her marriage.
She has been battered by her husband and abandoned to fend for her children. Anna Iskot, 47 of Gonyonyasub-county in Pallisa has also suffered domestic  violence for over 30 years.Such scenarios have prompted women leaders and civic orgainsations to come together to address the escalating violence against women in eastern Uganda.
The two women, who are both HIV positive, gave their testimonies at the Women Leaders Forum at Soroti Hotel recently. The seminar was organized by the Action Aid International to address violence against girls and women.
It was attended by women parliamentarians from the districts of Abim, Katakwi, Bukwo, Tororo, Bukedea, Kumi and Soroti.

ActionAid Country Director Charles Busingye said, “we want to empower women leaders to address the issue of violence against girls and women.” Irene Ovonji Odida, the Chairperson of the board of Actionaid urged government to do something about the escalating violence against girls and women.

Kumi Women MP Agnes akiror urged participants to advocate for the empowerment of the disadvantaged women.She said empowering them would stop crimes against women and girls such as defilement, child trafficking and using girls as domestic servants.
Janet akuromio, the woman MP for Abim, urged Non Governmental Organizations to take their services to the neglected areas such as Karamoja, saying: “we need your services to sensitise women in such areas about their rights.”

The MPs also agreed that it was important to promote education of the girl child, sensitise women about their rights, ensure food security and fight poverty if they are to succeed in empowering women.

Women ask for tender to manage garbage
Women have asked Kampala City Mayor Nasser Sebaggala for a tender to manage garbage in the city. The women said they were organized and trustworthy. The women from the five divisions of Rubaga, Kawempe, Makindye, Central and Nakawa were recently talking to Sebaggala during celebrations to mark the Women’s Day at Mayor’s gardens.
“We shall even scrub the roads where possible to reduce the dust in the streets and ensure our city is clean,” said Majorie Nakimuli the chairperson of Kawempe Division.
About 160 tonnes of garbage are collected in the city every day.Sebaggala told the women that KCC would soon acquire equipment to be used in the production of power from garbage. The women also requested Kampala City Council to mobilize funds for them to develop their project. They also asked Sebaggala to give them space where they can exhibit their products at least twice a month.

 Find the details of these and many more stories here http://newvision.co.ug/I/9/579