State Minister for Gender, Labor, and Social Development, Hon Peace Mutuuzo has called upon all school heads and stakeholders to create a conducive environment for lactating mothers to resume their studies.
While addressing participants in the regional meeting about responding to sexual and gender-based violence held in Kampala on Thursday, Mutuuzo noted that it’s unfortunate that some schools have stopped expectant or breastfeeding mothers from continuing with their studies “yet they were not impregnated out of their will.”
“We can’t punish those who have gotten pregnant at an early age and leave out the perpetrators, who are criminals, to walk freely. Pregnancy is not an offence or a disease, if schools don’t have breastfeeding rooms let them be put up as it is in Parliament,” the Minister said.
She noted that much as giving birth at an early stage is not good, segregating student-mothers might force them to resort to dangerous practices like unsafe abortion.
While boarding schools are excused, Mutuuzo further insisted that day schools have no excuse to send away expectant and breastfeeding mothers.
Dr. Janveire Ndirahisha, International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)- RTF Regional Director, urged all member states to commit to and provide peace in their territories to reduce the number of SGBV cases which tend to increase under instabilities.
“Before anyone commits a sexual, gender-based violence act, they should first put themselves in the shoes of the parent of the victim and imagine what if it were their daughter or wife undergoing such a situation,” Ndirahisha added.
Acting Commissioner of Police on Sexual Children’s Offences, Nalubega Rose, advised that professionals handling victims of SGBV should ensure that they create a conducive environment for the victim to freely return and enjoy life in the community.
“The people themselves do not know the law, they fear reporting to the Police, some don’t want to comment on sexual issues in the public while others are barred by their cultural beliefs,” Nalubega said.
The high-level regional meeting about responding to Sexual and gender-based violence attracted participants from various parts of Africa and dignitaries from the European Union, Giz Germany Cooperation among others.