Members of parliament have finally passed the controversial
anti-pornography bill which has been a centre of controversy amid heated
debate amongst members of the august house.
The bill, which also outlaws overtly sexual material including music videos, was voted through after a short debate amongst members of parliament who have finally proposed to have it passed without much interference from the Civil Society Organizations which have mostly been opposed to it.
When Simon Lokodo, Uganda’s ethics and integrity minister, proposed the legislation earlier this year, he said that women who wore “anything above the knee or have any of their private parts of their body exposed” risk being arrested.
The bill which now awaits the President’s approval before it can become law, flourishes in Uganda , a socially conservative country and also considers legislation to increase the punishment for homosexual acts, including the death penalty in some cases and life imprisonment where need be.
In related development the new legislation will also outlaw material which shows parts of the body including breasts, thighs and buttocks, or any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement in public places and other related areas of public occupation.
According to Ethics Minister Lokodo, the new bill also intends to ban anything that shows indecent acts or behaviour that are intended to corrupt morals, and dubious erotic appearances that can cause great damage to contemporary Ugandan morals.
The Bill, which has been criticised in some quarters as posing a threat to women’s rights, could also see many films and TV dramas being banned. Opponents claim it would stop performers such as Beyonce and Madonna appearing on their television channels.
Fr. Lokodo, the Ethics and Integrity Minister and backer of the law, adds that the Bill comes at a time when there has been a reported increase in pornography in the country particularly in formative institutions for teenagers like universities, high schools and among jobless youths.
The bill comes as a throwback to the reign of former dictator Idi Amin who banned miniskirts by decree in Uganda during the 1970s and ordered for the arrest of whoever was found moving on the streets of Kampala wearing a miniskirt.
However activists like former ethics and integrity minister Miriam Matembe have gone ahead criticizing the bill saying that the conditions under which this bill has been passed hasn’t been favourably discussed.
“this is total infringement of human rights particularly to the women, this she says mostly targets women, and not men, and it seems we are getting back to colonial way of behaviour where women were not allowed to eat chicken, this where we are heading this is un-fair” says angry Matembe.
“Even the time they have accorded to the bill is not enough, state needed to have given this bill enough time this is total injustice to the women of this country and I can assure you we shall protest against it Matembe adds.
Soon after the president’s signature, this will become a law and whoever is found possessing any erotic dress made of, risks being arrested.
The bill, which also outlaws overtly sexual material including music videos, was voted through after a short debate amongst members of parliament who have finally proposed to have it passed without much interference from the Civil Society Organizations which have mostly been opposed to it.
When Simon Lokodo, Uganda’s ethics and integrity minister, proposed the legislation earlier this year, he said that women who wore “anything above the knee or have any of their private parts of their body exposed” risk being arrested.
The bill which now awaits the President’s approval before it can become law, flourishes in Uganda , a socially conservative country and also considers legislation to increase the punishment for homosexual acts, including the death penalty in some cases and life imprisonment where need be.
In related development the new legislation will also outlaw material which shows parts of the body including breasts, thighs and buttocks, or any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement in public places and other related areas of public occupation.
According to Ethics Minister Lokodo, the new bill also intends to ban anything that shows indecent acts or behaviour that are intended to corrupt morals, and dubious erotic appearances that can cause great damage to contemporary Ugandan morals.
The Bill, which has been criticised in some quarters as posing a threat to women’s rights, could also see many films and TV dramas being banned. Opponents claim it would stop performers such as Beyonce and Madonna appearing on their television channels.
Fr. Lokodo, the Ethics and Integrity Minister and backer of the law, adds that the Bill comes at a time when there has been a reported increase in pornography in the country particularly in formative institutions for teenagers like universities, high schools and among jobless youths.
The bill comes as a throwback to the reign of former dictator Idi Amin who banned miniskirts by decree in Uganda during the 1970s and ordered for the arrest of whoever was found moving on the streets of Kampala wearing a miniskirt.
However activists like former ethics and integrity minister Miriam Matembe have gone ahead criticizing the bill saying that the conditions under which this bill has been passed hasn’t been favourably discussed.
“this is total infringement of human rights particularly to the women, this she says mostly targets women, and not men, and it seems we are getting back to colonial way of behaviour where women were not allowed to eat chicken, this where we are heading this is un-fair” says angry Matembe.
“Even the time they have accorded to the bill is not enough, state needed to have given this bill enough time this is total injustice to the women of this country and I can assure you we shall protest against it Matembe adds.
Soon after the president’s signature, this will become a law and whoever is found possessing any erotic dress made of, risks being arrested.
No comments:
Post a Comment