Decries Escalating Cases of Violence Against Children.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has launched the Uganda Children’s Legislative Agenda today with a call for legislation against violence against Children.
Tayebwa has decried escalating cases of sexual and physical violence against children with Uganda doing badly in child protection to recent surveys.
While Launching the Children’s legislative agenda, the deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa decried increased cases of violence against children in the country. Tayebwa emphasized that Uganda is doing badly in the protection of children’s rights citing the surge in teenage pregnancy which escalated during the Covid-19-induced lockdown.
Tayebwa called for strict action against violence against children, saying the current trend which is reflected in recent surveys is unacceptable. He noted that Violence has contributed highly to high school dropout rates.
He tasked the government to prioritize issues of special needs children who have been left behind in the government service delivery agenda.
The Deputy Speaker directed the Ministry of gender to go and review the Children’s Legislative agenda and bring to parliament bills tailored to address issues of the children.
The minister of state for Youths and Children Sarah Mateke highlighted gaps in the existing legal framework of the children’s laws that have been exploited to violate children’s rights. She committed to addressing the vacuum with relevant laws.
The Uganda Children’s legislative agenda has been developed by the Parliamentary Forum on Children Affairs in partnership with Afri Child Center and UNICEF. It aims at reviewing laws and Policies concerning children.
Margret Makokha the chairperson explained that the available laws have failed to protect children because they are too scattered hence a need to consolidate them into one law.
According to the 2021 Annual Crime Police Report, 8681 Child-Related Offences were reported constituting 4.2% of the total cases reported that year.
