The document highlights various initiatives aimed at empowering women and promoting gender equality in Uganda, particularly focusing on community engagement through voter education and local governance. It discusses the challenges women face in political representation and the significance of economic empowerment for achieving gender equality. The text also covers events celebrating women's achievements and strategies for addressing electoral corruption and enhancing civic engagement among voters as Uganda approaches national elections in 2016.

1. Uganda@50
13th April to 18th April 2015
FOWODE E-NEWS
FOWODE E-NEWS, P.O BOX 7176, Kampala Uganda | Plot 15 Vubya Close, Ntinda Nakawa Rd.
Email: fowode@fowode.org Web: www.fowode.org. Twitter @FOWODE_UGANDA
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Forumforwomenindemocracy
Celebrating the gains of Women and
Girls Empowerment
• CELEBRATING THE GAINS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT
• SHARPENING CIVIC ACTION MENTORS FOR VOTER EDUCATION

2. i
Village Gender Governance group Exchange visit
Last week, the Village Governance Group from Rukungiri
visited Kibuku district to learn best practices of how the
Grassroots Gender and Local Accountability project is
impacting the communities of Kibuku district.
The Village Budget Clubs (VBCs) work in Tirinyi Sub County
on local accountability created impact due to the vigilance of
the communities in ensuring that social services that are due
to them are provided for, and address the needs of the poor.
The duty bearers appreciate our intervention in the district.
The Rukungiri VGCs visit to Kibuku demonstrated that the
leaders at the district freely share budget information with
the citizen’s.
While sharing experiences with the district technocrats, Mr.
Moses Mwiraguzu, CDO and focal point person for
FOWODE at district level showed how the VBCs and
FOWODE have continued to track service delivery, the
ability to give alternative budget concerns and which has
helped the district to review FOWODE’s priorities for
inclusive local government planning and budgeting. The
VBCs and the citizen’s have always put us the leaders to task
to explain and debate how public resources are allocated and
utilized at community level, ensure quality in service
provision and value for money in development concerns.
That an empowered woman is a tool for community
development was a key lesson learnt during the exchange
visit. Women’s enthusiasm to demand and defend their
rights as development rights is now something Kalampete
Village Budget Club has put on the agenda, helping fellow
women who are affected by gender based violence in their
communities. However, the community members decried the
government current position to increase taxes on agricultural
inputs and reduce budget allocation to health and education
sectors, all these sectors affects us most the rural women.
As a result of FOWODE’s community sensitization on
poverty alleviation in Tirinyi Sub County for example, the
women informal groups organized themselves into savings
and credit groups that continued to bring them together to
think for common course but also economically empowering
strategy for community wealth creation initiatives. For
instance in Tirinyi Sub County, the community members
formed Tugaite Women savings and credit group and also
transformed Kalampete VBC in savings and credit group
with 80% composition of women in both membership and
management structure. In Kirika Sub County another
FOWODE area of intervention, the community member was
quoted saying “I really thank civic action mentors and FOWODE
for empowering us in family wealth creation and now we are able to
organize and form Nabiswa village savings and credit association”.
The testimonies from the community members indicate that
poverty alleviation is now concern of people who received
knowledge on wealth creation in an effort create sustainable
approaches but also uniting citizen’s during our civic
education engagement trainings in the district. This is in one
way enhances campaign on no vote buying and selling for
real issues of development
Celebrating the gains of Women and Girls Empowerment
Forum for Women in Democracy in partnership with GIZ
Uganda held a very interactive dialogue at Hotel Africana
in Kampala on 16 April. This dialogue was meant to
celebrate the gains Ugandan women have made so far in
empowerment of women and girls. The Ugandan and
German governments continue to show commitment in
achievement of MDG 3 Gender equality.
In her keynote speech, Celebrating gains for Women and
girls in 30 years- in Uganda’s Health, education and
agriculture sectors, Dr. Maggie Kigozi noted that Uganda
and much of the world has plenty to celebrate; in politics-
there are women Presidents, Vice Presidents, In Uganda we
have a female Speaker in the August house, 22% Ministers,
and 35% of Uganda’s MP’s are female. Strides have been
taken in the academia, in the civil service, in the judiciary,
among district leaders, in the Civil Society Organisations,
business, and the media.
“Women now have role models that they can look up to
Kazibwe, Kadaga, Musisi, Alaso, Clinton, Ellen Sirleaf,
Thelma Awori, Sarah Ntiro, Graca Machel” said Maggie
Even with all these strides she acknowledges that there are
still challenges; high rates of Maternal Mortality, Hospitals
are in despicable condition, limited access to family
planning, limited access to information, limted sectoral
support, access to finance and limited access to foreign
markets.
In the discussion, Florence Kata, former CEO of the Uganda
Export Promotion Board, one of the panellists said that
women need money in their pockets because most of the
women will have an education but barely have finances
therefore economic empowerment is key if women are to
have impact.
Victoria Sekitoleko added that “We would wish to see
banks headed by women because only one bank in Uganda,
Uganda Development Bank, is headed by a woman”. She
also said that Agriculture is a noble profession.
The young women were urged not to settle for less. They
should set big goals and go for them.
From the discussion, it was clear that the men must not be
left out. Women and men need to work together with
children and youth to break down persistent gender
stereotypes.
There was a lively discussion going on twitter with the hash
tag #WG2015. To benefit from the discussion and more,
please visit us on twitter @FOWODE_Uganda

3.
In
consideration
of
the
electoral
processes
towards
the
2016
national
elections
in
Uganda,
Forum
for
Women
in
Democracy
re
oriented
50
of
her
civic
action
mentors
in
Voter
education.
Representative
of
7
districts
of
Uganda
including;
Gulu,
Kibuku,
Luweero,
Kibaale,
Rukungiri,
Kabale
and
Napak,
the
mentors
acquired
knowledge
in
voter
education;
enhanced
their
understanding
of
the
road
map
to
the
national
2016
elections;
with
specificity
on
citizens’
engagement
in
the
electoral
processes.
David,
Byakutaga,
the
facilitator
urged
the
mentors
to
engage
in
Parallel
Vote
Tabulation
(PVT)
as
a
tool
to
reinforce
public
confidence
in
the
election
process,
foster
election
integrity
and
contribute
to
election
peace.
“We
need
to
address
the
issue
of
vote
rigging
squarely,
if
it
is
at
the
ballot
box
during
vote
counting
that
the
votes
are
stolen,
I
don’t
then
see
why
citizens
themselves
do
not
engage
in
Parallel
Vote
Tallying.”said
a
participant
from
Rukiga
Sub
County.
Elaborations
on
integration
of
gender
in
voter
education
were
salient
to
enhancing
equal
participation
of
both
men
and
women
in
the
electoral
processes.
For
women,
unfortunately
the
current
level
of
participation
and
representation
in
politics
and
decision-­‐making
processes
is
still
not
satisfactory
as
they
are
consistently
left
out
in
the
electoral
process.
The
training
noted
that
inspite
of
women
enjoying
the
legal
right
to
participate
in
politics
and
the
decision-­‐
making
process,
this
is
hampered
due
to
a
number
of
reasons
and
hence
there
is
a
dire
need
to
make
women
politically
relevant
in
Uganda
as
they
play
key
roles
such
as:
candidates,
voters,
political
party
members
or
supporters,
and
political
activists.
Since
women
have
different
needs
and
issues
of
concern
from
the
rest
of
the
population,
it
is
important
that
they
take
part
in
the
electoral
process
so
as
to
have
their
voices
heard.
The
mentors
were
advised
to
emphasise
the
need
for
citizens
to
vote
for
women
especially
those
that
plan
to
stand
for
directly
elected
seats
in
the
2016
elections.
“
Citizens
should
be
encouraged
to
know
that
its
them
that
have
the
power
to
determine
who
comes
into
power,
a
man
or
a
woman,
so
if
the
women
support
and
vote
fellow
women,
then
their
views
could
be
more
aired
than
in
a
male
dominated
leadership”
Said
Fatuma
Kyomuhangi,
Lyantonde
district.
Both
the
candidates
and
the
electorate
often
corrupt
elections.
The
Civic
action
mentors
discussed
the
“No
Vote
Buying,
No
Vote
selling
campaign”
aimed
at
mobilizing
members
of
the
public
and
those
intending
to
contest
in
the
2016
elections
to
shun
vote
buying
and
selling.
The
mentors
were
urged
to
encourage
citizens
to
vote
for
people
that
have
their
issues
at
heart
rather
than
those
that
convert
issues
into
voter
bribery
packages
of
sugar,
salt,
among
others.
Citizens
have
a
critical
role
to
play
in
preventing
commercialization
of
elections
that
makes
Ugandans
end
up
with
leaders
who
are
not
focused
on
national
issues
and
could
lead
the
nation
into
a
leadership
crisis.
“We
need
to
combat
2
major
thoughts:
1.
Every
politician
thinks
that
you
must
have
money
to
buy
votes
and
win
an
election;
2.
Every
electorate
thinks
that
one
must
be
bought
to
cast
a
vote:
No
wonder,
politics
is
a
business
for
the
leaders
where
they
expect
to
earn
profits
from
the
money
they
spent
buying
votes
during
elections.”
Leanard
Okello,
Facilitator
Civic
Education,
emphasized.
The
civic
action
mentors
were
advised
to
guard
against
3
fears
including:
Lack
of
information;
Dis-­‐information,
and
Mis-­‐information
and
take
personal
responsibility
for
the
leadership
of
the
country
as
they
pass
the
information
on
to
the
citizens.
The
future
of
our
country
lies
in
our
hands,
and
the
women
really
need
to
get
on
board
and
suffocate
vote
buying
and
selling,
engage
effectively
in
the
electoral
processes
to
have
better
leadership
and
development
in
Uganda.
There
is
a
great
link
between
election
corruption
and
poor
service
delivery,
the
former
leads
to
the
latter,
so
let’s
jealously
guard
our
vote
and
cast
it
wisely.
For
the
women,
it’s
our
sole
duty
to
transform
this
country,
so
let’s
act
responsibly
for
the
National
Elections
2016.”
Said
Patricia
Munabi
Babiiha
in
her
closing
remarks.
The
training
was
part
of
FOWODE’s
civic
education
programme,
which
has
been
rolled
out
this
year
with
focus
on
voter
education
to
ensure
that
voters
are
well
informed,
ready,
willing,
and
can
effectively
exercise
their
rights
to
participate
fully
in
the
election
processes.
SHARPENING
CIVIC
ACTION
MENTORS
FOR
VOTER
EDUCATION

4. Women in Govt offices are powerless – Matembe
They have offices, some of them have once been appointed to the second highest office in the
land but, according to Maria Matembe, a woman activist, these women are “powerless.”
Citing her experience in Government as a minister and legislator, Matembe said that women
cannot even stand their ground while debating key decisions. “When I was in parliament fighting
against rape in marriage fellow women in parliament were telling me to step back and yet this
was an issue affecting them as women and needed to be addressed,” she noted. Matembe was
Thursday speaking during the National women’s dialogue organized by Forum for Women in
Democracy (FOWODE) at Hotel Africana. She attributed the women’s powerlessness to an
unfavorable political environment. "The political environment in Uganda now is manifested by
corruption and deceit making it difficult for women to transform it, as a result, they have
conformed to it," Matembe said.
See more: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/667131-women-in-govt-offices-are-powerless-
matembe.html
Women Undress Before Migereko, Gen Aronda
The scene at a disputed area in Apaa parish where a mark stone was to be erected to demarcate the boundary
between Amuru and Adjumani districts turned ugly on Thursday when women protesters undressed before
minister for Lands Daudi Migereko and Internal Affairs minister Gen Aronda Nyakairima who had visited the
contested land. Hundreds of residents of Apaa in Pabbo Sub-county in Amuru district sombrely waited for the
ministers until about 3pm when the latter arrived. The duo arrived at the sight of naked elderly women sitting
on Apaa junction and yelling out traditional slogans condemning the boundary demarcations. The women said
the demarcation is a move to push them out of their ancestral land.
See more: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Women--undress---Migereko-Gen-
Aronda/-/688334/2689156/-/a43gy2/-/index.html
How a tribal king sparked deadly violence in South Africa
Over the past week, at least five immigrants have been killed following clashes with xenophobic mobs in the
major South African cities of Durban and Johannesburg. Fears of further tensions and violence are growing,
with thousands of foreigners seeking shelter at police stations, temporary camps and even a soccer stadium.
Others formed machete-wielding vigilante squads, aimed at defending their turf. South African President Jacob
Zuma appealed for calm in an address to Parliament on Thursday."The attacks violate all the values that South
Africa embodies, especially the respect for human life, human right," he said. "No amount of frustration or anger
can justify the attacks."
See more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/04/17/how-a-tribal-
king-sparked-deadly-violence-in-south-africa/?postshare=4221429290657524
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