As Gender Equity Rises, Ugandan Women Seek Divorce
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda is seeing a rise in the number of women seeking divorce, in part because of a more equal legal environment and increased education for women.
Ugandan lawmakers are currently considering legislation, expected to pass this year, which would make it clear that a man and a woman enjoy equal rights in a marriage. Uganda's president, widely seen as sympathetic to women's rights, has said the country needs such a law.
In 2004 Uganda's Constitutional Court nullified a law that made it virtually impossible for a woman to get a divorce. Magistrate David Batema, who presides over divorce hearings, says that in today's age of gender equality, a marriage should not be "a bed of thorns." He says men need to learn that marriage is a partnership of equals.
BET Global News - Your source for Black news from around the world, including international politics, health and human rights, the latest celebrity news and more. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and many more. Go here for more details and info on how to buy tickets.
(Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)