NEWS: Female headed homes on the increase

Female headed homes on the increase

Sunday, 31st May, 2009 from NEW VISION

THE number of female-headed households has increased to 30%, up from 27% in 2007, a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics has indicated. The majority of female headed households are in the central region at 35%, with the bulk of them in Kampala. Western region follows at 28% and Eastern region at 26%. The study also said northern Uganda was leading the rest of the country in polygamy. The survey on gender and productivity, commissioned by the Prime Minister’s office, indicated that even in male-headed households, men were abdicating their duties. It revealed that when the men realise that their wives are making some money, they divert theirs to mistresses or other things that are not shared by the family. The objective of the survey was to assess progress made towards gender equality in various development areas. The study, carried out between November 2007 and February 2008, covered 4,291 households. It used questionnaires on assets ownership, health, roles in decision making and domestic violence. The results were released last week at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala to district leaders. Less than 10 MPs attended. The report said unequal gender relations were increasing poverty. “Women’s economic opportunities are constrained by low social status, lack of ownership of productive resources, a heavy workload and limited participation in decision making at household and community level,” the report said. It also said women faced constraints when operating within their home or venturing into private enterprise. It pointed at recent World Bank assessments, noting that female enterprises were twice more likely to get interference from the local government. The report further said domestic violence was widespread, which it attributed to the long history of bias against women. It said about 61% of married women had experienced physical violence within their homes, while 31% experienced violence in the last 12 months. Domestic violence is seen as one of the key stumbling blocks to the control of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, the study said. It said because of the persistent low social status, women had no control over their reproductive health. This, the report added, impacted on their economic productivity. “The high fertility rates are due to the fact that many women cannot decide when or how many children to have,” it said. The report also pointed out that many girls were dropping out of school, despite the universal primary and secondary education programme. It said parents were pulling their daughters out of school to marry them off or to force them into domestic work. Some drop out because they are defiled and impregnated by teachers, while others stop studying because their parents cannot afford the little money needed. Even in the Universal Primary Education schools, parents have to pay up to sh18,000, according to the report. The participants called for the creation of a Girl-child Trust to stop girls from dropping out of school.