President Yoweri Museveni has commended women cultural leaders from various traditional institution for their efforts to lift fellow women out of poverty and for encouraging the spirit of unity not only among Ugandans but for the people of Africa.
The President was yesterday meeting members of the African Queens Women Cultural Leadership Network (AQWCLN) who paid a courtesy call on him at his country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura district.
The delegation that comprised Queens of the traditional leaders and the Royals from all the Kingdoms and Chiefdoms of the country were led by the Co- founder of the Organization Queen Mother of Tooro Kingdom Best Kemigisha the leader of the Uganda chapter. AQWCLN was founded together with the Queen of Buganda Kingdom Silvia Nanginda Nabagereka.
AQWCLN that was founded 2 years ago at the International level in Accra Ghana, aims at using culture as a tool for social and economic development in African countries.
In Uganda, the AQWCLN chapter whose mission is Peace, Unity, Social and Economic Development and has membership at all traditional institutions in the country, aims at liberating women from poverty by training them in money generating activities, fighting acts of violence against women, eradicating bad cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation, promoting awareness of the dangers of HIV/AIDS among women as well as promoting girl-child education.
President Museveni who is the patron of AQWCLN expressed his gratitude to members of the organization for their efforts in fighting poverty and advised them to be examples of their subjects.
He urged the Queens and the royals to educate their communities to discard immediately the bad practice of land fragmentation that fuels poverty. He added that in areas that have already been fragmented, the societies should now adopt modern commercial agriculture.
"I am very happy with you. I am glad to hear now that cultural institutions are talking about what we have been preaching since 1996. One thing you must agree to work against is land fragmentation. It must stop now. If you allow, it will create a great crisis for the country," he cautioned.
The President also encouraged them to continue working against harmful cultural practices as well as cultural chauvinism that is unacceptable today in Uganda.
Mr. Museveni also thanked AQWCLN members for being Pan Africans and pledged to support the organization and also solicit for them some help from the UNDP and UNESCO.
The Head of AQWCLN Uganda Chapter Queen Best Kemigisha outlined the achievements of the organization that she said has among other things mobilized rural women to deliver on development.
She also thanked the President for restoring cultural institutions.
"We know that if you had not restored Kingdoms, we wouldn't be here today," she noted.
In their memo read by the secretary of the organization Ms Nagudi Rutange Erina, members among other things praised President Museveni for shaping Uganda to what it is today as well as pioneering support for the cause of women not only in Uganda but also in Africa.
The meeting was also attended by the chairperson who was also the MC of the function Ms. Alisemera Babiiha Jane.
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