The World Briefly
November 14, 2022The Red Line
Uganda
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A Ugandan university came under fire this week after it ordered its female nursing and midwifery students to take pregnancy tests before their exams, sparking a backlash from women’s rights advocates and politicians, CNN reported.
Earlier in the week, Kampala International University issued a now-withdrawn notice requiring female students to get tested or be disqualified from attending the nurses and midwifery examinations.
The notice also said that students had to pay for the tests that cost 5,000 Ugandan shillings – around $1.30.
The move received swift criticism from health professionals and women’s rights groups, who labeled the requirement “discriminatory and unacceptable.” They said the notice went against Uganda’s constitution.
The controversy also reached the country’s National Assembly, with Speaker Anita Among calling the directive “very unfortunate,” according to Africanews. Other politicians also called for a probe to examine whether other universities had issued such an order.
Following the intense backlash, the school rescinded its order – but did not specify why it had issued it in the first place.
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