Women in Uganda who go out
wearing mini-skirts could face jail or a heavy fine under draconian new
anti-pórnography laws.
#SaveTheMiniskirt:
Uganda Proposes Miniskirt Ban
The legislation would also see television dramas and films
banned if it is passed by parliament.
The Anti-Pórnography Bill 2011 proposes that those found
guilty of abetting pórnography be fined up to 10 million Ugandan shillings or
jailed for up to 10 years, or both.
Simon Lokodo, Uganda's ethics and integrity minister, who
proposed the Bill, said: "Any attire which exposes intimate parts of the
human body, especially areas that are of erotic function, are outlawed.
Anything above the knee is outlawed. If a woman wears a miniskirt,
we will arrest her."
The bill, which is backed by Deputy Attorney General Fred
Ruhindi, would also see many films and TV dramas banned from the airwaves and
internet use monitored.
Mr Lokodo, a former Catholic priest defrocked by the Vatican
for his involvement in politics, said that would mean that celebrities such as
Beyoncé and Madonna would be banned from Ugandan television.
"Television should not broadcast a sexy person.
On the internet, we're going to put a monitoring system so we
know who has watched which website and we know who has watched pórnographic
material."
Mr Lokodo said the Bill was needed to protect women and
children against exploitation and curb increasing immorality.
If passed, the proposed law would mark a return to the era of
dictator Idi Amin, who banned short skirts.
Traditional
modesty: Mr Lokodo argues he wants to shield women from sexual exploitation by
having them cover up
Many Ugandans are against the idea and some have taken to
Twitter to express their outrage using the hashtag #SaveMiniSkirt.
But on Thursday the draft law ran into problems when some
members of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee voiced concerns about
its implications for freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.
MPs said the Bill’s definition of pórnography was too broad
and said it went against Uganda’s tradition of being a tolerant country.
The Bill defines pórnography as any cultural practice,
behaviour or form of communication that depicts naked breasts, thighs, buttocks
or genitalia.
The definition also includes anyone engaged in explicit
sexual activities, erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement and any
indecent act or behaviour tending to corrupt morals.
But MPs criticised the lack of definition about what
constituted "decent dressing" and said the Bill could inhibit the
sexual behaviour of married couples.
They asked the Government to stop curtailing freedoms, which
they said could scare away tourists.
Less of that, please, ladies: the Bill would ensure that
singers such as Madonna and Beyoncé are taken off air because of their immodest
dress, says Mr Lokodo
Mr Lokodo responded by saying that the legislation will not
outlaw "any act or behaviour between spouses or couples performed in
fulfilment of their conjugal rights and responsibilities, where such matters
are strictly private."
He said that one of the dangers of pórnography is that it
fuels sexual crimes against women and children, including rape and child
molestation.
He suggested that women who were victims of sexual violence
were sometimes attacked because of their provocative dress.
"One can wear what one wants, but please do not be
provocative," he said.
"People who are indecently dressed do it provocatively
and sometimes they are attacked.
An onlooker is moved to attack her and we want to avoid those
areas.
He is a criminal but he was also provoked and enticed."
While some committee members said that pórnography was
already outlawed under Ugandan law, Mr Lokodo said that the existing laws only
covered the publication of obscene material and that the issue of pornógraphy
transcended publication.
Mr Lokodo is no stranger to controversy.
Last year he raided a workshop for gay activists and
announced a ban on 38 pro-gay groups, saying they were undermining the national
culture by promoting homosexuality.
Source: Dailymail
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