Uganda makes progress on addressing women issues

By Najib Mulema

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development director for gender and community development Jane Mpagi, has said there is tremendous progress in legal and policy reforms when it comes to address women issues in Uganda.

Speaking at the opening of the Gender Identity Week at Makerere University School of Women and Gender Studies, Ms Mpagi said the 1995 Constitution is gender sensitive because it accords women full and equal dignity of a person with men.

She noted in her presentation about women’s achievements, opportunities and challenges that the current Constitution protects the role of women in society, including maternal functions, equal treatment with men as well as granting women and girls a right to affirmative action.

“While the 1962 Republic of Uganda Constitution was largely gender neutral, the 1995 Constitution is gender sensitive, accords women full and equal dignity of the person with men, protects the role of women in society including maternal functions, equal treatment with men and accords women to right to affirmative action,” Ms Mpagi said.

“Major legal reforms in favour of women have been evident since 2000 up to date. These include laws relating to property rights, elimination of violation against women and girls, and elimination of discrimination,” she added.

However, she decried the inappropriate and inadequate infrastructure which has hindered women’s progress and development thus arguing government to improve in that field for a major transformation.

Gender Identity Week

Organized by Makerere University School of Women and Gender Studies in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden, the Gender Identity Week is one of the activities of commemorating the International Women’s Day on March 8.

The Week will run from March 5 to March 10, 2018 under the theme “Transformations for empowerment of rural women and girls: Opportunities and challenges”.

Associate professor Consolata Kabonesa, principal investigator Sida Gender mainstreaming project School of Women and Gender Studies, this year’s Gender Identity Week will be full of resourceful facilitators that will talk about issues that help women to prosper socially, economically and politically.