Women in Karamoja sub-region have appealed to the elders to abolish the practice of polygamy which is a biggest barrier to food security in the region.
The matter was raised during celebrations to mark the seventh Edition of the Karamoja cultural festival.
The one-week festival that was held in Abim district attracted thousands of Ateker people from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Teso and Karamoja.
Ms Mary Ayune, a mother of seven children in Abim town council, says polygamous marriages in Karamoja are fueling poverty and says if women just continue watching men continue with the practice, hunger and extreme poverty will continue pounding families.
Ms Magdalena Adiaka a mother of ten children in Iriiri sub-county in Napak district says most of the women living in a polygamous union are grappling with extreme poverty as their husbands shun away from their responsibilities, as well putting them at increased risk of HIV/AIDs and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Ms Adiaka like other many women reiterated that several women in polygamous families are going through hardships in silence and the practice has contributed to hunger and insecurity in the region.
Ms Adiaka speaking……..
But Ms Steffan Adupa, the district woman councilor representing Tapac sub-county in Moroto district says although the practice is bad, it may be tricky to ban it because the elders who are supposed to guide are the main drivers of polygamy. The Roman Catholic Faith calls one wife for one husband. END