Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) has threatened to block the passing of the 2017/2018 national budget if the executive fails to allocate money for sanitary pads that will help keep girls in school.
Government through the Minister of Education and First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni recently revealed that government h failed to find money to fulfill the President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign pledge.
The revelation to parliament has since raised a lot of criticism from different civil society organizations, and incited personal attacks on the First family.
UWOPA Chairperson and Kumi District WMP, Monicah Amoding told the media on Tuesday that they are doing whatever it takes to push government to reinstate the budget for sanitary towels as well funds for the marginalized people in the country.
“We have learnt with deep sadness that the 2017/2018 budget is not pro-people and pro-poor but only focuses on hardware issues; the software are the majority of Ugandans, the poor and the marginalized,” Amoding said.
The chairperson was saddened that money that was earlier allocated to cater for the women, the youth, the children and the elderly has been withdrawn to the microfinance sector.
“A total of Sh3bn was withdrawn from the budget and sent to the Microfinance Support Centre as well as a sum of Sh8bn from the Youth Livelihood Program which we are protesting,” noted the legislator.
Amoding warned that the challenges of the operations cannot be the reason why the money should be transferred but rather government should strengthen the interventions by ensuring that it is foul proof and ensuring that women and youth get the funds.
“We want to see the money reinstalled, money for sanitary towels must be found otherwise you can’t say that we only have money for roads and electricity when our people are dying, it doesn’t make sense.”