By Juma Nsubuga
The chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission Hajjat Sophia Nalule Juuko has directed the EOC legal department to go out and investigate all issues faced by women in different categories across the country.
The angry EOC boss made this directive during the dialogue with Women Human Rights Defenders Network-Uganda at EOC headquarters in Kampala.
The Women human rights defenders led by Ms Brendah Atugonza urged equal opportunities commission to come out and investigate any kind of violation, discrimination and inequalities against women especially young women in different categories in their communities while executing their duties.
“We have come here to ask for the justice and help from the equal opportunities commission since one of its mandate is to fight for the rights of marginalized Ugandans in different categories” Atugonza noted in the meeting.
Meanwhile the EOC boss with an angry face directed her legal department at EOC immediately move out and start to investigate the violence against women across the country.
“After listening to a number of experiences, violation and inequality, discrimination from young women of different categories shared with us from their communities, it gives us the mandate to investigate this kind of cases and come up with an informed report on every sector of government and rectify the situation” Nalule noted.
She added that “I therefore direct my legal team (EOC) to go out and investigate all the issues women have shared with us in all categories and come up with information and report the findings to the concerned government sectors” she added.
She further called upon the public to collaborate with every body to stop the discrimination, marginalization and exclusion of women in Uganda.
“Among the EOC’s mandate is to support affirmative action,non-discrimination and non-marginalization of all people” she said adding that EOC is number one agency which can fight for any inequalities and each of the cases reported to us will be investigated accordingly.
The Women human rights defenders further urged the EOC to invite them to be part of the civil society organisation desk.
They (WHRD) also want EOC to introduce a desk that will receive complaints of inequality, discrimination and be recognized and highlight their roles in eliminating discrimination, marginalization and inequality through joint commemoration of international days.
