UWOPA wants gov’t to freeze interest on loans acquired by informal sector

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Women Members of Parliament have demanded that the government freezes interest on loans acquired by people in the informal sector.

The legislators under their umbrella group the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) on Tuesday tabled demands for the government to consider.

“As the government of Uganda progressively rolls out preparedness, risk reduction and response measures, it’s imperative that critical attention is given to the different impacts COVID-19 as all other pandemics and disasters have on women and men,” said UWOPA Chairperson Pamela Kamugo.

She tabled nine recommendations to government among which, a suggestion that government freezes interest rates on all acquired loans in the informal sector and puts in place a small-business’ rebuilding plan to provide interest-free start-up packages to revive businesses at the end of the pandemic.

Kamugo said that the informal sector has been disrupted by the lockdown and yet this is where the majority of women derive a source of income.

Kamugo also recommended that under the on-going food distribution, priority should be given to female and child-headed families.

“Food is given to individuals rather than households to regulate the unequal power relations within households, reduce women’s dependence on men and ensure women have enough to feed their children,” she said.

Kamugo also says that relief food to the female and child-headed households should be distributed by women to avoid harassment and exploitation.

According to Kamugo, they have received reports of some Local Council chairpersons taking advantage of women in villages over food.

UWOPA also noted the cases of violence against women and girls that have escalated during the lockdown.

UWOPA recommends that the Child and Family Protection Unit of the Uganda Police Force remains operational and fully equipped with transport, protective gear and a toll-free line to respond to cases of violence against women and girls.

Lucy Akello, the Amuru Woman MP said that the cases of violence especially those inflicted on women by the security forces should be taken seriously.

Akello also recommended that the elderly are provided with the much-needed support in the form of food, soap, water and other necessities on top of periodic monitoring by local government structures to ensure that they are catered for and get emergency support when the need arises.

She said that emergency response services for the elderly to access health care are placed at every sub-county to ensure timely provision of much-needed support.

UWOPA also wants special support to be given to women serving as frontlines during the pandemic. They recommend incentives in form of subsistence allowances, transport, food and medical insurance to be accorded to these women such as nurses and other emergency response workers at the frontline to reduce the economic and social strain both at work and home.

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