news 19 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Harmful Practices Continue to Plight Girls in Uganda's Karamoja Region
Despite legal protections and stakeholder efforts, girls in Karamoja, Uganda, continue to face severe harm from practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early marriage, and denial of education, leading to trauma and limited opportunities. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/harmful-practices-still-bother-girls-in-karamoja-5466168
Harmful traditional practices including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage, defilement, and teenage pregnancies continue to distress girls and women in Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region. These deeply ingrained issues significantly hinder survivors’ educational and economic progress, persisting despite numerous government and stakeholder interventions.
Local officials report that girls are being pulled out of school for forced marriages or subjected to FGM, actions that are seen as jeopardizing their futures. Although Uganda enacted the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act in 2010, criminalizing the practice, it reportedly continues clandestinely in some communities who view it as a cultural rite of passage.
Religious leaders, like Pastor Samuel Lokwanga, have initiated awareness campaigns, pledging to collaborate with local authorities and NGOs to protect girls and foster development. The Church aims to empower young people to embrace modern opportunities while rejecting harmful traditions, believing this is crucial for the region’s transformation.
A recent feminist dialogue in Amudat District, organized by ActionAid Uganda, highlighted the ongoing challenges. Community leaders and civil society actors underscored the need for mindset change to eliminate these vices, while also promoting positive cultural practices.
Data from a 2016 FGM survey indicated high prevalence rates in specific districts, with Nakapiripirit at 49.2% and Amudat at 43% among women aged 15-49. The practice is particularly concentrated among certain ethnic groups, such as the Pokot and Kadama. Furthermore, a 2025 UNICEF report identified Karamoja as having the highest rate of child marriage in the country, with around 50% of girls married before 18.