Bishop Kibuuka says empowering women is the best way to celebrate them

The presiding Bishop for the Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC) in Uganda, Jacinto Kibuuka has said the best way to celebrate women in Uganda is by empowering them.

Kibuuka was addressing a congregation at his Mamre Prayer centre in Namugongo on Sunday as the country celebratedthe International women’s day.

“Most problems women face are as a result of non-empowerment. Violence against women is solely caused by poverty. If we empowered them, all these problems would be a story of the past,” Kibuuka said.

“I ask government and development partners to think of empowering women instead of giving them contraceptives to avoid pregnancies. They should be given skills that will help them to earn something and everything will just fall in place.”

Bishop Kibuuka said poverty and lack of skills are the causes of unwanted pregnancies, economic exclusion, gender-based violence, child neglect, unemployment, HIV/AIDS  and discrimination against women that he said need to be dealt with.

The man of God applauded government for the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program that he said is a project in the right direction that will help empower women in various parts of the country.

“It is a good initiative that we should all support. It will empower women. Anyone who is skilled can sustain themselves and all the challenges they face are dealt with automatically.”

According to Dr. Jennifer Twebaze Musoke, from the National Council for Higher Education, women ought to start valuing themselves as a way of empowerment.

She said that men take advantage of women who consider themselves as vulnerable but urged them to always be defenders of their own rights.

“However, you should remain submissive and respectful to your husbands and employers,”she noted.