The Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda has condemned the Gender Ministry’s ban on comprehensive sexuality education in schools.
His Excellency Henk Jan Baker, said Ms Janat Mukwaya, the gender minister, could have been misinformed on the critical role of young people having access to sexuality education.
“Sexuality education is something that needs to be taken forward at both community and political level because it a very good thing towards the accessibility to sexuality reproductive and health rights,” Mr Baker said.
He was speaking on Saturday during Reach a Hand Uganda’s (RAHU) third intergenerational dialogue on Sexuality and Reproduction Health Rights (SRH) in Kampala.
The dialogue attracted over 3,000 youths and students across the country who also expressed dissatisfaction against the banning of sexuality education in schools.
Ms Mukwaya in her Friday press release banned comprehensive sexuality education in schools until a policy to regulate sexuality education is formulated.
She the sexuality education was leading to decline in national values.
Maj Rubaramira Ruranga, a board member of the Uganda Aids Commission described the government’s decree on sexuality education as disastrous to the efforts towards the fight against HIV/AIDs, Hepatitis B and early pregnancy.
“I would like to tell government that making laws trying to stop children from learning who they are is creating a disaster. The idea of banning sexuality education is a bad one and disastrous,” Maj Rubaramira said.
Dr Peninah Tomusange, a medical consultant at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said the ban is a sabotage to the attainment of sustainable development goals which governments world over are expected achieve 2030.
“How can we achieve good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality when are youth are still getting sick because of ignorance. They can only get access to rightful information through sexuality comprehensive education,” she said.
Mr Humphrey Nabimanya, the RAHU founder and team leader, said government should instead regulate sexuality information that is being given in regard to age groups.
“Government should have a policy on sexuality education that addresses needs of young people. Banning sexuality education without immediate solutions to sexuality challenges of adolescents and youth would sink energies that have been fostered at addressing sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancies,” Mr Nabimanya said.
In August, Green Hill Academy in Buwate was in a spotlight after books on sexuality were found in the school library.
In May, a study by Daily Monitor revealed that over 100 schools had been duped into training disguised homosexuality to their teachers and students.