Why the President should sign the Sexual Offences Bill

The Sexual Offences Bill, 2021 was passed by Parliament but was not assented to by the President. The President returned it to Parliament.

The term of the tenth Parliament ended before the Bill was passed or returned to the President for his assent.

However, when MP Ann Adeke was granted leave to present the Private Member’s Bill, the move was received by mixed reactions on social media, with critics suggesting that there are more pressing issues to discuss as Parliament .

But one wonders, how do we achieve all that as a country while ignoring issues that affect the young generation?

The only realistic way to achieve these targets is to invest massively in children and address key obstacle that is threatening further progress on realising children’s rights – child sexual abuse – which is rampant in the country.

Children need the realisation of their rights to quality education, safety and protection; good health, sanitation, and participation to reach their full potential in life and contribute to the country’s development.

Too many children are deprived of these rights today because of abuse, including harmful social norms such as female genital mutilation, sexual orientation, child prostitution, defilement and child marriage and it is holding back the economic and human development of the country.

Child sexual abuse is a challenge in most parts of the world. It mostly affects girls and young women, having grave consequences on the survivors. Some of these effects may last a lifetime.

The Sexual Offences Bill aims to consolidate existing pieces of legislation. For instance, the Penal Code Act specifically addresses the issues of effectual prevention of sexual violence including child sexual abuse.

Interestingly, the Sexual Offences Bill proposes multiple clauses of reform around sexual violence in general, and against children, women and court procedures, on handling sexual violence offenders and survivors, and to create a ‘sex offenders register’.

The Bill is also named pervasive forms of sexual violence including among others; rape, sexual assault, child marriage, incest and child prostitution.

Once passed into law, the Bill will offer legal protection to survivors and those at risk of child sexual violence.

The Bill further seeks to enhance punishment of sexual offenders, and provides for the protection of victims during sexual offences trials, extraterritorial application of the law and to repeal some provisions of the Penal Code Act.

Parliamentarians are key stakeholders in the elimination of gender-based violence in all its forms and are strategically placed to drive the national changes required to achieve this aim.

The legislators have individual and collective responsibilities to not only enact strong legislation but also to monitor the implementation of these policies and hold the government to account in making legislation more effective.

The criminalidation of sexual violence is the first step to enabling the country to fulfill its obligation of prosecution, protection, and prevention.

Ms Sandra Tukwasibwe Karungi, head of programmes at Joy for Children- Uganda