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58% women killed by their spouses worldwide, says Amongi
Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi. PHOTO/FILE
One in three women in the world faces violence while 58 per cent of them are killed by their spouses, Uganda’s labour and gender minister Betty Amongi has told the Non-Aligned Movement Conference on Advancing the Rights and Empowerment of Women in Azerbaijan.
“Women's rights are violated, and in some countries, they cannot even open a bank account in their own name,” the minister stated, noting to delegates from 120 countries that “it is important to protect women's rights.”
“We, as ministers, must understand that we are still far from achieving our goal because of many barriers. In some countries, there are cases of discrimination against women, female genital mutilation, and early marriage," Minister Amongi said at the 2-day conference started on November 20 in Baku.
The gathering was organised by the Baku Initiative Group, a non-governmental organisation that supports the fight against colonialism and neo-colonialism in various parts of the world.
The Group is comprised of more than 40 representatives from 18 countries including France, USA, Turkey, Russia, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Comoros, India, and French colonies such as New Caledonia, Martinique, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Corsica.
The main objective of the conference was to draw attention to the international community on the plight of women in territories still under colonial rule due to ongoing colonialism policies in the 21st century.
It also aims “to expose the inhumane treatment and violation of fundamental rights which women face in colonies and to promote the strengthening of participation of women in the eradication of colonialism.”
Amongi’s remarks come barely two months before President Museveni takes over from Azerbaijan leader Ilham Aliyev to lead the second-biggest group of countries after the United Nations starting January 2024.
The Non-Aligned Movement, founded in 1961 at the height of the Cold War between the West and East, has a membership of 120 countries; 53 from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and two from Europe.
