By Rose Kasigwa

 Uganda women Members of Parliament have called on government to amend laws on sex offences to ensure that the victims who are women and teenage girls get justice.

The call was made by over 100 members of parliament under their umbrella organization Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) during a training that was spearheaded by Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on May 25, 2024.

Tororo district woman Legislator, Sarah Opendi noted with concern that some cases of sex offences take forever in courts of law and various cases are dropped and many others poorly investigated and she attributed the challenge to poor facilitation of investigation agencies including the police that has resulted in denial of justice to the victims especially the teenage girls.

“Why should a sex violence case be before the judge for five years? We need to amend the Domestic violence Act and the Sex offences bill to provide for a specific   time line in which a case should be handled. The Judiciary should create specific divisions at all courts of law in the country to handle matters of sex violence”. Said Sarah Opendi.

Kotido district Woman member of Parliament , Margaret Aleper urged fellow lawmakers to make wide consultations during the drafting of The Marriage Bill in order to ensure its support from both the male and female Members of parliament, so as to ensure the legislation doesn’t suffer premature death like the past laws on marriage.

Aleper also called for closer scrutiny on the practice of paying dowry, with calls to have it done within the current economic trends, citing families in Karamoja that still demand 100 heads of cattle as bride price, which could explain why when such cows are paid off by the man’s family, it exposes the women and teenage to being treated like property.

Amolatar district Woman Member of Parliament , Agnes Apea urged fellow Legislators to take kin interest in some cultures  that demand lots of money  and property as marriage gifts in exchange  of their teenage daughters and young women in marriage.

“Cultures and communities especially in Karamoja, women are married off in exchange of 100 heads of cattle which is very high, therefore, as women forums and civil society organizations we should work together   to change the practice of selling women and young girls as property during marriage.  Women and teenage girls are not goods, culture and religion are strong institutions in the country we need to engage them so as they can change”. Said Agnes Apea.