The Archbishop of Uganda has denounced as vulgar and inappropriate a government campaign to attract tourists to Uganda. The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali condemned the “Miss Curvy Uganda” project unveiled by tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda that uses sex appeal to sell the country’s image abroad.
At the launch of the program earlier this month Mr. Kiwanda said: “We have naturally endowed nice looking women that are amazing to look at. Why don’t we use these people as a strategy to promote our tourism industry?”
In June the Miss Curvy Uganda beauty pageant will be held featuring plus size women. Pageant organizers say over 150 women have signed up to compete in the government backed extravaganza.
The campaign elicited protests from women’s groups in the East African nation. “Women are not a tourist attraction,” said Winnie Kizza MP, leader of the Uganda WOmen Parliamentary Association said. “They are not an object for pleasure. They are not a money minting project.”
In 7 Feb 2019 Facebook post, Archbishop Ntagali wrote:
“As Archbishop and on behalf of the entire Church of Uganda, we condemn the proposed Miss Curvy Uganda beauty pageant and urge the sponsors and partners to cancel it. It undermines the dignity of women and all that we as a church have worked for to advance girl-child education and opportunities for women to take their part in contributing fully to our national and family development. It is a disgusting display of exploitation and brings shame upon our families and our country. The government is promoting trafficking to increase tourism. To present such a programme is to demonstrate how low we have fallen as a country. We cannot accept it and we insist that It be cancelled.”
