The Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has urged that women should be treated as equal partners in development and should be empowered with voices and skills to play an increasingly significant role in society.
To say this, Hon. Babalanda was officiating at the Women’s Day Celebrations for Kibaale District held at Muhangi Primary School playgrounds-Kibaale on Thursday. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is: “Accelerating equality and empowerment”.
The Minister said among the greatest global challenges of the 21st century is the matter of gender inequality where women are treated as second class citizens even when they possess similar or even better qualities than their male counterparts.
“What keeps the women to be unequal to men are gender stereotypes where men are culturally, socially and even religiously considered to be better qualified in nearly everything,” Hon. Babalanda said.
“However, when a woman is empowered with education, with a skill, with a speaking platform etc, that woman will all of a sudden be empowered and from that time she will compete very ably with her men counterparts,” she added.
Hon. Babalanda explained that empowerment for women comes from exposure, from knowledge, from self-awareness and self-discovery and from discarding non-progressive beliefs and traditions.
She said the world is however full of women who are resigned in attitude, who fear to take a step, who fear to risk into anything, who leave everything in their lives to fate and who are too dependent on men for every aspect of their lives.
“This is a very enslaving situation. Such women will give up at a slightest provocation, will not stand to their rights or even bother to know them and they will settle for less in all matters of life. Women must be empowered to overcome these ills. Lack of empowerment poses unique threats to the livelihoods, health, and safety of girls and women,” the Minister who disclosed that she is also a product of President Yoweri Museveni’s empowerment program and affirmative action, noted.
“For example, lack of women empowerment is fueling sexual violence, human trafficking, child marriages, and many other forms of violence. Women and girls are victims in all the above.We need to collectively deal with the problem of women disempowerment and in the process address the gender inequalities that come along with it. The women and men of Kibaale should lead the way in this campaign.”
Hon. Babalanda also thanked the people of Kibaale for being united despite their political differences. She advised that the kind of politics they engage in should not undermine development or affect service delivery.
“Ugandans expect good services from government irrespective of their political affiliations. Politicians should therefore desist from dividing the people with inaccurate testimonies about Government. These views poison the minds of the people and they end up opposing all government programs. Instead, teach the people how to work and prosper,” she told leaders.
The Minister further reminded the technical staff of the district to always inform people about the available Government services and the money invested by Government in these services so that they can follow up.
“Encourage your people to participate in Government Wealth Creation programs like Emyooga, Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program (UWEP). Leaders should ensure that women are fully catered for in these programs in line with the theme of this year’s Women’s Day,” she said.
Hon. Babalanda also appealed to the leadership of Kibaale to remind their people to be vigilant about security. She said Kibaale receives many migrants from other parts of the country and even from outside Uganda who go there to do business.
“However, we need to be sure of their identities so that we do not invite criminals to destabilize our community taking advantage of the abundant forest resources here. The ADF is still in existence and it is still a challenge to Uganda and the Great Lakes region as a whole,”she revealed.
On the issue of the delayed handover by the Uganda Land Commission of land titles to the rightful beneficiaries in respect to the land purchased for the people by government, Hon. Babalanda told the residents that she wrote a follow up letter to the Minister of Lands to address this issue.
On the issue of the conflict between the National Forestry Authority and the people of Kibaale regarding forest boundaries, she explained that this conflict is caused by delays to open these boundaries.
“I wrote to the Executive Director of the National Forestry Authority and raised this concern to him. The RDC, Mr. Kasigwa Angalia will make a follow-up on this matter.I am also aware of cases of land evictions and grabbing in the greater Bunyoro. This is a security threat and it affects development. The RDCs in the region should be at the forefront in dealing with this vice and they should be guided by the presidential directives on land conflicts which have the force of law,” she said.
“Land evictions can only happen with consent of the District Security Committees and the Minister of Lands. They should be sanctioned by clear court orders.I urge landowners to treat well the bibanja holders. The law clearly spells out the rights of bibanja holders and it is the duty of the leaders to help out these vulnerable groups so they can use their land to make wealth.”
The Minister on the other hand, urged leaders at all levels in Kibaale to popularize government programs.
“I congratulate you upon marking this years’ International Women’s Day and I thank the women of Kibaale for supporting NRM and President Yoweri Museveni. NRM is in power and we need more time to finish up so much. Do not get tired of the NRM whenever we return for more.”
The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development who is also the Member of Parliament for Buyanja County, Hon. Matia Kasaija cautioned the people of Kibaale against politicking. He instead advised them to work hard to better their lives.
“Politics will come later at the right time,” he emphasized.
The Buyanja East Legislator, Hon. Emely Kugonza said as Kibaale leaders they are working around the clock to ensure that the district is transformed for the better.
“We are all here to create and deliver a new Kibaale we want in Uganda as a model district.”
The Kibaale Woman MP, Hon. Noeline Kisembo Basemera assured the Minister that the people of Kibaale fully support the NRM government under President Museveni due to the peace and development it ushered in ever since it came in power in 1986.
Hon. Kisembo further commended leaders of Kibaale for working in harmony and unity, saying that such factors have enabled them to deliver better services to their people.
The Kibaale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godwin Angalia told the Minister that Kibaale is one of most secure and greatest districts whose politics purely depends on ensuring how leaders should deliver better services to their people.
“Government programs are moving on very well and every PDM SACCO has atleast Shs50m on their account. We even received the Emyooga money and now as leaders we are just implementing,” Mr. Angalia said.
“There’s unity and teamwork among leaders in the district and service delivery is moving on very well,” he added.
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