The Toolkit for Gender Mainstreaming in Gender Responsive Budgeting is a comprehensive resource designed to strengthen capacity for gender mainstreaming within government departments and state entities, with a particular focus on South Africa. Developed collaboratively by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, National Treasury, DPME, and UN Women, the toolkit provides both theoretical foundations and practical tools for integrating gender perspectives into policy, planning, and budgeting processes.

The "ESA Gender Snapshot 2025" offers a data-driven assessment of gender equality across East and Southern Africa, spotlighting progress, setbacks, and urgent priorities. Covering poverty, health, education, leadership, violence, and climate justice, it provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. This essential resource guides efforts to accelerate SDG delivery, strengthen accountability, and ensure transformative change for women and girls across the region.

The Data Linking Toolkit equips national statistical offices and partners with practical tools for linking administrative, survey, and census data. Covering five key linkage methods and real-world examples, it guides users through legal, technical, and quality considerations essential for robust, gender-sensitive SDG monitoring. This toolkit is a vital resource for building integrated, responsive statistical systems and advancing inclusive, evidence-based development in Africa.

The Central African Republic is facing a protracted crisis marked by conflict, displacement and climate shocks. In 2025, 2.4 million people were in need of assistance, including 442,000 displaced persons. Women and girls, representing 60% of those affected, are the most exposed to insecurity, GBV and loss of livelihoods. Rural women farmers are particularly vulnerable, requiring targeted interventions for protection, health, resilience and leadership. This brief presents an overview of the situation over the period of September and November 2025.

Strengthening Zimbabwe’s GBV administrative data systems through institutional cordination, harmonised reporting and digital innovation.

Uganda marked the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security with a series of national events celebrating progress and reaffirming commitment to women’s leadership in peacebuilding. UN Women Uganda worked closely with the Government and partners throughout the commemorations, supporting advocacy, dialogue and public engagement. Key activities included: Media Briefing (30 October 2025): Hosted at the Uganda Media Centre with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, UN Women and civil society partners. Women’s Roundtable Discussion (30 October 2025): Convened by the Coalition for Action on 1325, amplifying women’s perspectives on peace and security. National Commemoration (31 October 2025): The official event honouring 25 years of UNSCR 1325 and renewing national commitments to advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. These engagements underscored Uganda’s strong partnerships, ongoing progress and shared determination to ensure women are central to peace and security efforts.

Uganda has made progress in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, yet significant disparities persist in economic participation, political representation, education, health, and employment, contributing to a decline in its global gender gap index from 0.717 in 2020 to 0.706 in 2024. The country is committed to international and regional frameworks, including CEDAW, SDGs, and the Beijing Platform for Action, and has enacted national laws and policies, such as the 2007 National Gender Policy, to address gender inequalities. Gender statistics are vital for identifying disparities, monitoring progress, and informing targeted interventions. While Uganda has improved the availability of gender-disaggregated SDG indicators from 11 in 2018 to 32 in 2023, gaps remain in their uptake and use due to limited capacity for gender-sensitive analysis and low awareness of available data. The EPRC, in collaboration with UN Women, UBOS, and MGLSD, developed a facilitator manual to enhance the production and use of gender statistics.

The Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF), launched in 2021 to support micro and small enterprises recovering from COVID-19, provides UGX 200 billion in low-interest financing jointly funded by the Government of Uganda and participating financial institutions. Despite this objective, uptake has remained low, with only 17% of funds disbursed by September 2023. Access has also been uneven, with 72% of beneficiaries in Kampala and very limited reach in other regions. Women business owners—who make up the majority of Uganda’s micro-enterprise sector—were particularly left behind, accounting for only 3 in 10 beneficiaries. Although recent adjustments to the scheme, including higher borrowing limits, refinancing options, and block allocations, were meant to improve access, they have not addressed deeper structural constraints. Persistent barriers such as limited collateral, restrictive eligibility requirements, inadequate information, and gender inequalities continue to hinder women entrepreneurs. The brief calls for targeted, gender-responsive reforms to enhance equitable access to recovery financing.

Module 1 of the workshop focuses on introductions and setting the stage for learning. Participants will familiarize themselves with each other, understand the workshop objectives, and engage with the agenda, expectations, and ground rules. The facilitator ensures participant registration, distribution of materials, and comfortable seating arranged to encourage interaction. Emphasis is placed on creating an inclusive and participatory learning environment, where questions, feedback, and open discussion are encouraged. The training follows adult learning principles, emphasizing experiential and interactive methods, underlined by the approach: “Tell me I will forget; show me I will remember; involve me I will understand.” This module lays the foundation for engagement, collaboration, and active participation throughout the workshop.

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) make up a significant portion of Uganda’s population, with women disproportionately affected. The 2014 National Population and Housing Census reported 12.4% of Ugandans have a disability, with women at 13.7% versus 11% for men. Despite government efforts to promote inclusive employment—such as the National Special Grant for PWDs, the 2011 National Employment Policy, and the 2006 Employment Act—labour force participation among female PWDs has declined sharply, from 47% in 2016/17 to 6% in 2021, compared to a smaller decline among male PWDs. Overall, PWD participation in the workforce fell from 54% to 42% over the same period. This brief, based on the 2021 National Labour Force Survey, examines the employment challenges faced by female PWDs, compares their situation to male counterparts, and identifies policy measures that could help reverse the decline and improve their access to equitable economic opportunities.

Teenage pregnancy and child marriage remain major socio-economic and health challenges in Uganda. Around 24% of girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing, while 35% are married before 18 and 7.3% before 15. Rates are consistently higher in rural areas, with teenage pregnancy reaching 24.9% compared to 20.5% in urban settings. Regional disparities persist, with Bukedi (29.5%) and Busoga (28.4%) recording the highest teenage pregnancy rates, and Kigezi (14.9%) the lowest—reflecting deep-rooted socio-cultural and economic drivers. Although the median age at first marriage for women slightly increased from 18.6 to 18.8 years between 2016 and 2022, child marriage continues to fuel teenage pregnancy and violates girls’ rights. Despite national strategies, legal frameworks, and ongoing norm-change efforts, both practices remain widespread, underscoring the need for sustained, coordinated action.

Women’s participation in the labour force is essential for economic development and poverty reduction, yet global and regional trends show persistent gender gaps. Worldwide, women’s labour force participation averages just over 50%, far below men’s 80%, reflecting structural barriers to women’s economic engagement. In Sub-Saharan Africa, female labour force participation has stagnated at around 60% since the 1990s despite gains in education and health. Uganda mirrors these challenges. In 2021, women’s participation stood at 39% compared to 58% for men, with most women concentrated in subsistence agriculture, informal work, and vulnerable employment. Vulnerable employment affects 81% of women versus 67% of men, highlighting widespread low pay, insecurity, and limited social protection. With 75% of total employment and 92% of youth entering the informal sector, women face limited pathways to decent work. These realities underscore the urgency of advancing SDG 5 and SDG 8 to promote gender equality and inclusive, productive employment for all.

Uganda continues to face a high prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV), reflected in the 2016 UDHS findings of 51% physical violence, 22% sexual violence, and 56% emotional spousal abuse. Women and children remain the most affected, yet reporting remains stagnant, with domestic violence cases to police increasing only slightly from 17,533 in 2021 to 17,698 in 2022. To improve access to justice and advance national development goals, including SDG 5.2 on eliminating violence against women and girls, Uganda has introduced key policies such as the National Policy on the Elimination of GBV (2019) and guidelines for managing GBV shelters. Despite establishing over 19 shelters and integrating GBV services across police, health facilities, and local leaders, service utilisation remains low at just 10%. Even among survivors aware of available services, many do not seek help. Confidentiality concerns, financial constraints, and limited community-level support—especially from local leaders—continue to hinder reporting and access to justice.

From FY 2020/21, Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP) III adopted a programme-based approach to planning, budgeting, and outcome assessment, prioritizing 20 programmes with clear goals, targets, and indicators. Gender indicators were integrated to monitor progress, highlighting the importance of robust gender statistics. Significant progress has been made in strengthening the capacity of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to produce and use gender data. UN Women’s “Making Every Woman and Girl Count” (Women Count) initiative supported the Uganda Bureau of Statistics by enhancing gender data production, facilitating user-producer dialogues, and mentoring statisticians in gender analysis in partnership with the Economic Policy Research Centre.

The Government of Uganda launched the Parish Development Model (PDM) in February 2022 to help subsistence households access credit and investment opportunities and transition into the money economy. Targeting over 39% of households in subsistence activities, the PDM is built around seven pillars: agriculture value chains, financial inclusion, infrastructure, social services, community mobilization, parish-based data systems, and governance. Under the Financial Inclusion pillar, parish-level credit facilities provide affordable loans to women, youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, men, and other vulnerable groups, with each household receiving an average of UGX 1 million. By November 2024, over UGX 1.9 trillion had been disbursed, benefiting more than 1.9 million households nationwide. However, over 40% of beneficiaries switched enterprises, affecting productivity, market access, and sustainability. Drawing on Economic Policy Research Centre data, this brief analyzes enterprise choices, factors behind switching, and recommends strategies to strengthen the PDM’s effectiveness and long-term impact on rural development.

Women’s participation in Uganda’s labour force is essential for inclusive growth and achieving SDGs 5 and 8. Despite a working-age population increase from 20.2 million in 2018/19 to over 23.5 million in 2021, women’s labour force participation remains low at 39.3% compared to 57.9% for men (UBOS, 2021). Structural barriers, including cultural norms, occupational segregation, and unequal access to education and opportunities, contribute to this gap. Government policies like the Uganda Gender Policy (2007) and National Equal Opportunities Policy (2006) aim to promote gender equality, yet women still face significant challenges. 84.8% of women perform unpaid care work versus 66.6% of men, and women’s share of vulnerable employment is 64%, higher than men’s 46.5%. Young women are particularly disadvantaged, with 52.2% of female youth aged 18–30 classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), compared to 28% of male youth, highlighting persistent inequalities in Uganda’s labour market.

Disability affects a significant portion of Ugandans, with women disproportionately impacted. The 2024 National Population and Housing Census reports that 13.6% of Ugandans aged 5 and above have disabilities, with 14.3% of women affected compared to 12.9% of men. Women with disabilities face compounded challenges in health, economic participation, and social inclusion, making it critical to address gender and disability for inclusive development as outlined in National Development Plan IV. Government initiatives, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and GROW project, recognize persons with disabilities (PWDs) as a distinct group needing targeted support while integrating them into mainstream development activities. The PDM ensures women and PWDs participate at all levels, allocating 30% and 10% quotas respectively in the Parish Revolving Fund, with the Chairperson of the Disability Council included in the 7-member PDM committee. These measures ensure development reaches all segments of society and no one is left behind.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting containment measures—such as lockdowns, movement restrictions, and bans on gatherings—severely disrupted business operations in Uganda. Many enterprises closed fully or operated at limited capacity, with impacts differing by business size, sector, and the owner’s gender. Evidence shows women-owned businesses were disproportionately affected, largely because women are concentrated in micro and small enterprises and in sectors like hospitality and education that experienced widespread closures. Increased childcare demands during school shutdowns further limited women’s ability to operate businesses. These effects compounded pre-existing barriers, including limited access to capital, lack of collateral, and gender norms that place a heavy burden of unpaid care work on women. This summary draws from EPRC’s nationally representative panel survey of 1,111 MSMEs conducted in 2021 and 2022, which examined the gendered impacts of COVID-19 on MSMEs in Uganda.

In 2024, UN Women launched the West and Central Africa Feminist Economists Taskforce to advance gender-responsive macroeconomic policy and climate action. As the region transitions to a greener economy, the Taskforce promotes inclusive frameworks, amplifies women’s leadership in climate resilience, and drives climate justice. This brief highlights the Taskforce’s achievements in gender, climate action, and the green economy during its first phase of implementation.

Dear Colleagues and partners, A warm welcome to our third-quarter 2025 newsletter, and kindly be updated on our progress. This dynamic quarter saw us proudly amplify the voices of women at the Second African Climate Summit (2nd ACS) in Addis Ababa, notably through the Women’s Pavilion and related events. During the quarter, the ECO hosted Ms. Anna Mutavati, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on a high-level mission. Her visit included bilateral meetings with partners and donors, as well as a tour of the Women’s Rehabilitation and Skill Development Center, known as Lenegewa on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Our commitment to establishing and sustaining peace continued with a focus on supporting women’s roles in peace and security. Key initiatives included capacity-building workshops for women media practitioners, consultations on the National Action Plan, and training for electoral process stakeholders aimed at addressing violence against women in elections.