Press Release - Inter-agency report: refugee women and girls in Uganda disproportionately affected by COVID-19

Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020

A report released today, titled “Inter-Agency Rapid Gender Analysis – COVID-19, confirmed that refugees in Uganda have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with women and girls paying a heavier price.

Take Five: Engaging grassroots women enhances the localization process of UNSCR 1325

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Robinah Rubimbwa, is the Executive Director of Coalition for Action on 1325 (CoACT), an implementing partner of UN Women in Uganda. For over a decade, Robinah has developed training tools and manuals on localization and engaging young women in community-level peacebuilding, among others. Robinah is a member of Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (WMC), a network hosted by Conciliation Resources which connects women with a broad range of mediation knowledge and experience.

From where I stand, Catherine Kwanje Micheal: "If more women are trained as peacebuilders, in the next 10 years the world will be more peaceful"

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2020

Catherine Kwanje Micheal aged 43 years is a 2-time refugee. In 1994, she fled into Uganda as a young girl, attended school in Uganda and in 2000 voluntarily returned back to her home town of Yei, in South Sudan hoping to settle down and rebuild her life. Four years ago, Catherine was forced to flee again and return to Uganda after heightened fighting in her community. Catherine now lives in Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe District, with her 73-year-old mother and 6 nieces and nephews.

From where I stand, Ayoo Janet: "The number of women peace mediators is still limited and this hinders the amplifying of women’s voices in peace building processes"

Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2020

In 2019, UN Women with support from the Embassy of Norway began a partnership with Women International Peace Centre to implement a project titled “Promoting Women’s Effective Participation in Peace Building in Uganda”. Through this project, the capacity of 156 women peace mediators from Kotido, Yumbe and Adjumani refugee and host communities has been strengthened, enabling them to participate more effectively in peacebuilding processes in their communities.

From Where I Stand: As a woman, practicing self-isolation in a home setting is next to impossible

Date: Friday, July 3, 2020

I am a mother of twins aged 1.7 years, and I was breastfeeding yet I had to spend long hours at the Coronavirus Treatment Unit working from 8:00 am till 8:30 – 9:00 pm. Hence, they ended up refusing to breastfeed because I was not breastfeeding regularly. But at least they are eating food which comforted me. With young children, I have to be extremely careful, which is rather difficult considering that when the first case...

UN Women provides psychological support to women refugees in Uganda: “Had it not been the psychosocial support I received; I would have died of stress than COVID-19”

Date: Sunday, June 28, 2020

UN Women in partnership with its local implementing partner, TPO have been carrying out Psychosocial support in the quarantine centres as well as the refugee settlement. So far since the COVID-19 period, a total of 2107 refugee and hosts (1560 F and 547 M) have been reached with Psychological first aid, psychoeducation, basic counseling, specialized counseling, recovery follow up and messaging on prevention of SGBV and COVID-19.

UN Women Promotes Women's Participation as key Actors on the Front lines of COVID-19 Prevention in Refugee Settlements in Uganda

Date: Friday, June 19, 2020

By 9:00 a.m., the morning sun already feels hot in the Bidibidi settlement for refugees and displaced persons, located in the Yumbe District of Uganda. A steady file of women gathers around a borehole to collect water. They will repeat this chore again in the evening.

COVID-19 response : UN Women Builds Economic Resilience of Women Living in Refugee Camps in Uganda

Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020

UN Women has been working with CARE International since October 2018 to implement the Leadership, Empowerment Access and Protection (LEAP) program in the South Sudanese emergency response

In The Words Of Zahra Namuli..." My family is at a risk of COVID -19"

Date: Monday, May 25, 2020

People are at home and many of them are glued to their Televisions yearning for information about COVID-19. They cannot easily access such information if there is no journalist to pass it on or to break it down in a simplified manner.

Take five: 'increased domestic violence cases continue to leave me puzzled as to why people fail to live with peacefully with their families'

Date: Monday, May 11, 2020

Young men can also assist with house chores such as cooking, cleaning, helping children to learn, watching educative programs together, playing and praying together to lessen domestic burdens on women. “

In The Words Of Sylvia Karungi: "...Social distancing has been there for people with disabilities."

Date: Monday, May 4, 2020

I have limited access to information related to COVID-19. Information regarding COVID19 has not been put into braille form. Most information materials on the preventive measures of COVID are printed and published in newspapers.  With my condition, I cannot read posters or newspapers. I only listen to radio and television stations for information.

I am Generation Equality: Tina Musuya, feminist and advocate for ending gender-based violence

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

I was drawn to work in the field of preventing violence against women, partly because of life experiences. One of my sisters had suffered repeated physical abuse at her home. In my own life, my ex- partner put pressure on me to stay at home. He believed that he was earning enough money and he also wanted me to have more children.

Official Launch of the African Women Leader Network in Uganda: Women leaders using their offices to empower other women

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020

On February 28, 2020, over 3000 women turned up for the launch of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Uganda Chapter. The event took place at Sheraton Hotel Kampala and was presided over by the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, and graced by the African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security Ms. Bineta Diop. Dignitaries from the United Nations, Ambassadors, government officials, civil society, private sector and academia members, including women leaders across Africa were also in attendance.

Take Five: From awareness-raising to action, how trained paralegals in Uganda are stopping FGM

Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020

Christine Awori is Chief Executive Officer and Head of Legal Aid and Pro-bono Services for the Uganda Law Society (ULS), which established a satellite clinic in Amudat District in northeastern Uganda in 2019, with support from UN Women under the EU-UN Spotlight initiative. Going forward, the organization plans to continue its awareness raising, legal and referral services, and also secure partnerships with local radio stations for media campaigns.

Working with boxers to champion positive masculinity

Date: Friday, July 26, 2019

UN Women, UNAIDS have signed a partnership worth $30,000 with the Uganda Boxing Federation to promote positive masculinity for women empowerment and ending violence against women and girls

Uganda celebrates International Women’s Day

Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019

Caption Text 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...

UN Women and UWOPA leadership push for enactment of the pending gender sensitive Bills

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019

The Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) Executive members visited UN Women to discuss on how the two organization can work together and also strategize on how to advocate for the enactment and passing of the pending gender sensitive bills. The Bills include, the Sexual Offences Bill 2015, Succession Amendment Bill 2018, Marriage and Divorce Bill, and Employment Amendment Bill.

Inspire girls and women to take up leadership positions

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Country Representative (Blue suit), having a discussion with PSFU Executive Director, Mr. Gideon Badagawa, Ms. Anna Mutavati from UN Women and Mr. Riccardo Ridolfi of Equatorial power. Photo:UN Women/Aidah Nanyonjo “We have to inspire young girls and women to take up their positions in terms of how they harness their potential for economic empowerment,” Mr. Gideon Badagawa, the Executive Director for the Private Sector Foundation Uganda said...

'Violence against women is a shame'

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019

The programme worth USD 28 million (SEK 250 million) aims at combating Gender Based Violence and improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of men, women, girls, boys in Uganda. The programme will be implemented by UN Women and UNFPA in partnership with the Government of Uganda with funding from the Embassy of Sweden.

'UN Women has transformed how we conduct business'

Date: Friday, July 6, 2018

Since 2016, UN Women has been implementing a project Access to Markets by Women Vendors a  three-year project aimed at supporting women vendors to transform from being informal small-scale vendors to formal viable and sustainable big entrepreneurs.   It is being implemented in a partnership with the International Institute for Social Transformation (IST) in Gulu Central market and Kalerwe Market. The Women Economic Empowerment Specialist, Enock Mugabi said the project beneficiaries...