Uganda celebrates International Women’s Day

Group photo of UN Country Team before presenting a call to Action on strengthening interventions for social Protection of women and girls in Uganda. Photo: UN Women Uganda

This year, International Women’s Day was celebrated under the global theme: “Think Equal, Build Smart, and Innovate for Change”. This theme focuses on creating a paradigm shift for transforming mind sets to the goal of gender equality as well as identifying new ways of advancing the women’s agenda at all levels. In Uganda the national commemoration events were held in Bungangabu district and presided over by H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda. During the national event, the UN Country team presented to the President a call to action to strengthen the social protection of women and girls.

In his remarks at the event, H.E. President Yoweri K. Museveni pledged to increase funding for Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme to strengthen the social protection of women and girls. “ I will make proposals as president on how to increase the funds for UWEP, Youth Livelihood programme” he said.  The President also pledged to increase funding for the National Women’s Council to enable it implement more programmes for women and girls.   Prior to International Women’s Day national commemoration, UN Women convened  a high-level breakfast meeting that culminated in the call to action which was presented to the President by the UN Country Team led by UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Rosa Malango.

Ms. Malango emphasized the need for social protection interventions that include women in the informal sector because  most programmes do not involve them. The UN Resident Coordinator also emphasized the need to extend social protection interventions to the agricultural sector in which most women are engaged. She said: “We need Agriculture insurance schemes that are gender responsive to  help in securing women’s livelihoods and improving food security”.

Women and Girls’ groups participated in National celebration activities. Photo: UN Women Uganda

The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon. Janat Mukwaya , while addressing the public at the national event said that  women are already empowered to supply goods and services to government in various sectors. She gave an example of Lira district Women’s Council Chairperson who has been able to supply 18,000 cows to different parts of the country under the National Agricultural Advisory Services. Ms. Linda Agnes Auma secured a contract worth Uganda shillings 3 billion. The Uganda Gender Development Partners Group was represented by H.E. Susan Eckey the Ambassador of Norway to Uganda. In her remarks at the event Ms. Eckey  told government officials and the public that inequitable access to health, social and economic opportunities early on has a cumulative effect on vulnerabilities throughout life and into old age. She said women and girls’ disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work limits their opportunities to participate in formal employment and contributes to their own long-term social security, as well as to the wider economy.