Activists in Uganda Protest Pregnant Students Expulsion

A coalition of civil society health rights NGOs are protesting over the recent dismissal of pregnant students from Uganda Christian University, Kabale campus. They claim its gender discrimination in the education sector.

"We call upon the institution and others with similar policies to revisit and realign their policies to the national policies of the government of Uganda",

The situation harms the students' future and imposes heavy burdens on the female gender. Robinah Kaitiritimba the executive director UNHCO said pregnancy is not anywhere in Uganda's legal regime a crime. The dismissal or reprimands the pregnant students is a violation of their reproductive rights

Such according to these CSO's are the reasons as to why there are escalating preventable maternal morbidity and mortality rates which are not only anti-progress to improved maternal health progress but also complicate and discourage free access to family planning services, timely access to post abortion care, appropriate antennal care and the fight against the transmission of HIV/AIDS to unborn children.

They also argue that such instances create unfavorable conditions for education since the affected may not easily associate with fellow students hence casting a dark cloud on their future .

Furthermore, they called upon the ministries of Gender Labour and Social Development, Higher Education and Tertiary Institutions, National Council for Higher Education and women leaders to harmonize and nationalize education policies and regulations

This follows the suspension of 26 girls from the college for conceiving before marriage a thing that the institution doesn't concur with. They were found to be pregnant during random tests.