The arrest of woman politician Ingrid Turinawe in which a policeman was seen assaulting her by squeezing her breast may have happened days ago but the act continues to feature in debates across the country.
In Soroti, a section of women are demanding that government should pronounce its commitment on the fight against gender based sexual violence.
Alupo Engole Cecilia, the coordinator of Teso Women Peace Activists says she is concerned that Uganda, a signatory to treaties seeking to end gender based violence against women, could tolerate such conduct by the police, a force supposed to oversee law and order as well as protection of human rights.
She challenged the president and head of the police force to demonstrate their commitment to ending sexual gender based violence by prosecuting the policemen involved in the assault of Turinawe, the chairperson of FDC women’s league.
Alupo says she is particularly concerned that such acts could happen on any woman adding that it was not the first time policemen were assaulting women activists.
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The peace activist has sounded appeal to women everywhere to rise, demonstrate and demand that government must pronounce itself in the struggle to end violence against women. She says that most times violence against women is committed and let to go unpunished, a fact she faulted the police over.
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Florence Aringo, a businesswoman in Kamp Swahili, Soroti municipality says that she is concerned too that Uganda that was previously proclaimed by many as a country that promoted women’s rights was digressing into a series of rights abuses. She said as women they are demanding an open prosecution of the policemen involved in rights abuses to signal government commitment to protecting human rights.
According to the United Nations Development Program, Uganda benefits from an active affirmative action policy to reduce gender imbalances in higher education, governance, politics and management, which it says has resulted in considerable strides towards gender equity, equality and empowerment.
