The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt.Hon Thomas Tayebwa yesterday, 7th January 2023 presided over the launch of the legislative agenda for children with insight on critical issues concerning mostly those with special needs.
Tayebwa said the legislative agenda would help Parliament as an institution to tailor and pass laws that safeguard children against emerging threats including the sky rocketing homosexuality and sexual harassment.
“Most of the children face sexual and physical violence and as a country, we are not doing very well. We are ranked number 16 out of the 25 countries which are doing badly on child related labour rights. We can’t be proud of that. We must look for a way of swiftly addressing that, ” he asserted.
Quoting a national survey on violence against children done in 2020, Tayebwa said every 3 in 4 young adults, reported having experienced at least four forms of violence including sexual or physical harassment during childhood, a trend that is alarming.
Deputy Speaker also urged UPFC to work with Government in ensuring that children are not misled with behaviors that deviate from the African culture placing more emphasis on homosexuality.
“We need to protect our children. This is the biggest load that we have now as a country. Our schools and almost every institution has been infiltrated by evil beings. Why is someone going to school, teaching our children that it’s okay for a man to kiss a man or sleep with a man. Some people are trying to change our social order and we ought to be very keen on this. ” he said.
‘”The problem we have is that many parents are fearing to talk about it because they feel their children will be disenfranchised, “he added with appeals to the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children to look into the matter with the utmost urgency.
Youth and Children Affairs junior minister, Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi revealed that the government of Uganda acknowledges the urgent need to initiate and promote legislations that fosters a holistic development of all children.
“We recognize the need to harness the full potential of every child as a key strategy for economic transformation,” she noted, lauding UPFC for providing technical oversight in the development of the agenda.
“I commend Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children for its commitment and the deliberate efforts to monitor the national legislative and policy environment,” she said.
The minister also said the agenda would help to address a number of gaps in the country’s laws concerning children.
She urged all MPs to support improving children’s wellbeing in Uganda through legislation and policy reforms.
Margaret Makhoha, the Chairperson Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children said the Agenda Identifies gaps where the legislation does not protect internationally recognized rights and principles to guide required legislative and policy reforms.
“Most of these laws are scattered that, may be exploited to deny children their rights, or do not address the current context and emerging challenges, such as the post-pandemic environment, thus a need for the Forum to continuously assess their relevance and address existing legislative gaps.
Since inception, the Legislative forum for children has been focusing on becoming an avenue through which the status of Ugandan children is equitable, especially those in circumstances where their needs are not well met and their rights overted. To-date, it has become a platform where all child related grievances are addressed.
It is a platform where MPs with divergent political affiliations lobby for the rights of children in situations of compelling needs and priorities where children’s rights are often neglected.
As a brain child of the Members of Parliament on the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC), the legislative master plan was a much needed instrument aimed at addressing concerns and availing mitigation measures on child related plights.
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