In response to Kasese District registering a high percentage of HIV/AIDS infections and teenage pregnancies, Reach A Hand Uganda and Save The Children Uganda are hosting the 9th Intergenerational and Religious Dialogues in Kasese District to enhance gender equality and improve Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
The week-long dialogues – being held under the theme: “Elevating Girls’ Voice, Empower a Nation” – aim to bridge the gap between young people, cultural and religious leaders, and older generations on critical SRHR challenges that young people often experience.
While speaking during the Girls Festival of the Dialogues held yesterday at Ngaiga Primary School playground in Maliba Town Council, Reverend Betty, the Diocesan Mothers’ Union, and Family Life Coordinator said, “43% of our girls are married by 18, and 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are already mothers or pregnant. These numbers break my heart because each statistic is a child who was not given the chance to be just that – a child.”
According to the 2021 UNFPA fact sheet on teenage pregnancy[1], Tooro/Rwenzori is one of the top six regions in Uganda with the highest numbers of teenage pregnancies – with Kasese recording 7,319 and Kyenjojo recording 4,341.
During the dialogues, young people engage with political leaders, religious leaders, and opinion leaders through meaningful conversations to foster intergenerational and interfaith understanding as well as secure collaborative commitments aimed at advancing gender equality and improving SRHR among adolescents and young people.
Under the RAISE project, Reach A Hand Uganda in partnership with Save the Children Uganda is working with the Government and other partners to increase access to critical SRHR information for young people in the region. This is done through peer learning sessions held in several schools across the region to enhance adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH).
Benson Muhindo, the Head of Programs at Reach A Hand Uganda, said, “RAHU has throughout the year collected voices and experiences on Sexual Reproductive Health issues faced by young people in their various contexts from Kampala to Mbale to Adjumani to Hoima to Fort Portal and finally Kasese. These findings guide the Intergenerational Dialogues towards becoming a powerful advocacy and accountability space for young people while having representation from key stakeholders who influence policy, religion, culture, social norms and practices on attaining better health outcomes for young people.”
The Girls Festival also featured a panel discussion with insights from Ayebazibwe Jove – the Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Department at Hima Police Station, Biira Eunice – a young mother, Queen Kaija Daphne – 1st Runner-Up in the Miss Tourism Rwenzori Region 2018, Queen Mackline – the 1st Runner-Up in the Miss Tourism 2017, and Juliet Birungi – a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer with Save the Children Uganda.
While addressing the gathering, Juliet Birungi from Save the Children Uganda said, “Save the Children is dedicated to a world where every child has the right to survive, receive quality education, and be protected from abuse. We safeguard young people from violence and abuse through peer educators and Village Health Teams (VHTs). These are facilitators we train to provide accurate information. Additionally, we work on improving school infrastructure in rural and hard-to-reach areas. Save The Children loves gathering feedback through suggestion boxes in various sub-counties.”
The week will culminate in the Intergenerational Dialogue on Saturday 21st September 2024 at Rwenzori Square in Kasese. The Intergenerational Dialogue (IGD) is a platform where young people in Uganda can talk directly with leaders and policymakers about important issues like sexual health, gender equality, and the challenges they face. Since most of the population is under 30, addressing their specific needs is vital, especially around health and well-being. The dialogue focuses on problems like teenage pregnancy, HIV, and gender-based violence, aiming to connect different generations and include young people’s voices in policy decisions. Her Royal Highness, the Queen of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, will be the Chief Guest.
