July 14, 2009
The Member of Parliament for Tingey, Herbert Sabila has revealed that Female Genital Mutilation is one of the main causes of the high population growth rates amongst the Ugandan communities like the Sabiny that have this cultural practice.
This comes amidst a determined crack down on this cultural practice in the country and follows the tabling of private members bill on banning of the practice of FGM.
Sabila has told journalists at Parliament that FGM causes high population growth rates because it is partly the cause of the high fertility rates of the women in the communities that have this practice.
He says FGM causes high fertility rates because the girls undergo the cultural practice at about 14 years after which the girls are considered to be women mature enough to bear children.
Sabila says since the women begin having children at such an early age due to the influence of FGM, they are most likely to produce more children in their lifetime.
He says such high birth rates have caused the high population growth rates in districts that have communities that still have this practice.
He says however he is happy that that several stakeholders in the country are fighting hard to eliminate this cultural practice of FGM or female circumcision from Uganda.
