Parents cautioned against forcing their children into child marriages

The state minister for Gender and Culture Peace Mutuuzo has cautioned parents against sending their children into early marriages.

She urged the parents and the general public to always support their children more especially the girl child to grow and attain their dreams.

Mutuuzo made the remarks at the national celebrations for rural women held at Arapai Market in Soroti District.

She said the government has set aside Shs 120 billion  to help girls who drop out of school as a result of pregnancy.

She said women face many challenges because of big families forcing young girls start a family at a tender age.

"Don’t marry off your daughter even if she gets pregnant by mistake don’t marry her off if she is still young. Take her back to school. Take her for further training," she said.

She encouraged women to work together as a team to build themselves and develop the nation.

“I want to hear this from you is it true that girls are bing sold in Arapai market? Is that true? I don’t want to see the categorisation and say that these are village women and these are urban women. We are all women. A woman is a woman,"she said.