Ugandans demand resignation of legislator who endorsed domestic violence

Ugandans are up in arms and are calling for the resignation of a member of parliament who endorsed domestic violence on national television.

A video clip shared by NTV Uganda, a local television channel showed Onesmus Twinamasiko, a legislator for Bugangaizi East in Western Uganda saying women need to be ‘beaten’ by their husbands in order to streamline them.

“As a man, you need to discipline your wife…touch her a bit, tackle her and beat her to streamline her,’‘ Twinamasiko told NTV.

“As a man, you need to discipline your wife…touch her a bit, tackle her and beat her to streamline her”- Onesmus Twinamasiko, MP, Bugangaizi East following comments by Museveni that men who beat women are cowards and should face the full wrath of the law pic.twitter.com/yhoEVRk212

— Patu™ (@AyamPatra) March 11, 2018

Twinamasiko was reportedly responding to condemnation of domestic violence by President Yoweri Museveni on International Women’s Day.

The president told the nation that ‘men who beat women are cowards and should face the full wrath of the law’.

Ugandans have responded furiously to Twinamasiko’s comments and a Twitter hashtag calling for his resignation has been started.

Womyn deserve better than this! We demand better! The trivializing of violence against womyn must be inexcusable and men need to know that! #OnesmusTwinamasikoMustResign https://t.co/GD0znB0wQw

— Tяıċıa (@triciatwasiima) March 11, 2018

I am so tired of this nonsense. It is no wonder that many an average man is battering their girlfriend or wife. We continue to normalise this BS. We remain quiet. We blame “militant feminists” who speak while these men get no consequences. #OnesmusTwinamasikoMustResign https://t.co/8DVWygYa0t

— Edna Ninsiima (@BeingEdna) March 11, 2018

All those men who were wishing women a Happy Women’s Day, put your money where your mouth is and demand #OnesmusTwinamasikoMustResign

— Shriveled Ballz (@hiio5) March 11, 2018

It’s a shame to know that he is an MP, some people should never even be allowed to talk in public…am shamed to be coming from the Bunyoro region especially Bugangaizi

— HouseofKisa (@Houseofkisa) March 11, 2018

The speaker of the Ugandan parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has since asked the house’s committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges to probe Twinamasiko.

According to the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey, more than 1 in 5 women age 15–49 (22%) report that they have experienced sexual violence at some point in time in their lives.