Minister Lokodo to Kiwanda: Uganda has so many tourist attractions, let women be

Minister of Ethics and Integrity Fr Simon Lokodo has advised fellow Minister for Tourism Godfrey Kiwanda to concentrate on the many tourist attractions that the ministry has not even utilised rather than jump onto ‘scandalising’ the nation by using women.

Loko was speaking in light of Kiwanda’s recent launch of the “Miss Curvy Uganda” pageant which aims at selecting sexy curvaceous women allegedly for tourism promotion and attraction.

However, the ethics minister says the pageant not only shames the country but also un-dignifies women.

“I total condemn that pageant and I would want it stopped. It is not fair to women, and girls growing up because it un-dignifies them. We can not use the human body for entertainment of tourists,” Lokodo said.

According to Lokodo, the ethics committee recently criminalised strip teasing as pornography hence, it would be unwise to have such a pageant.

While launching the pageant, Kiwanda said; “We have naturally endowed nice looking women that are amazing to look at. Why don’t we use these people as a strategy to promote our tourism industry?”

However, Lokodo insists that there is no pride for a country to attract tourists using bodies of women.

“There is no pride on behalf of Uganda for someone to leave Australia to see a curvy woman. I am glad that women and other Ugandans are actually already condemning this. I have no words for such an event,” Lokodo remarked.

The minister also advised Kiwanda and the rest of his officials in the ministry to concentrate on utilising just half of Uganda’s tourism potential rather than descend on women.

“There are so many elephants and birds, we can attract tourists there, Kiwanda can take them to the mountains and lakes. We have so many nice things the ministry can use to attract tourists. Why is Kiwanda not utilising them but women. And by the way, why is he choosing women alone and not men?” Lokodo wondered.

A Ugandan Woman, a one Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi has petitioned government to cancel the freshly launched “Miss Uganda Curvy”, a contest that seeks to determine the most curvaceous woman in the country.

According to Murungi, the new pageant which was launched under the stewardship of the Minister for Tourism Godfrey Kiwanda is aimed at objectifying women.

“It’s 2019 ladies and gentlemen. And a whole board of tourism sat down, discussed and decided to actually pass something like this. Those were men and women with daughters at home. Those were gentlemen married to “curvy” women and dating them. Those were men and women with “curvy” sisters, mothers and friends who sat and actually passed this,” Murungi laments

“They bought mineral water and soda for the meeting they even had lunch while talking about this brilliant idea. And guess what no one said this is objectification of women!! Nope, no one said that this is un doing the work of women activists for the past centuries! No one I mean no one thought that this was a stupid mediocre idea. At first I thought the pageant was to create acceptance for plus size women in society but alas Uganda does it again!” she added.

Consequently, the ‘offended’ Murungi now has started an online petition calling upon Ugandans who are equally offended to sign for the cancellation of the said pageant.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/02/06/curvy-women-contests-the-other-countries-having-competitions/

“In Uganda the ministry of Tourism has added “curvy women on the list of “tourism attractions”. They are holding a “miss curvy pageant” to promote this idea. I personally feel attacked. This is degrading of women. In a country where women are grabbed by men while walking on the streets and now they have legalised it by making them tourist attractions is not fair,” she says at the beginning of the petition.

“They are objectifying us and reducing women to nothing. Please sign this petition for ministry of tourism to take down the miss curvy challenge and offer an apology to the public as well,” she adds.