Female District Councillors undergo training

Mbale: The women activist organizations have embarked on the countrywide program to educate district female councilors to become good legislators so as to influence policy making.

Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) in partnership with other women concern groups organized a three day workshop under the theme ‘Enhancing the leadership roles of district women councilors’ that is ending today at Rest Villa hotel in Mbale municipality. The women councilors including youth female councilors, directly elected councilors and persons with disabilities come from Sironko, Kapchorwa and Tororo district.

The program is targeting 12 districts in the eastern region and central region. During the workshop, councilors were trained on the order of business in the councils, procedures of enacting ordinances, forming caucus, tabling motions, how to use Email and bulk SMS and how to conduct research using research engines like Google. They were also trained on how to lobby in district councils.

Ms Jovent K Obbo, a trainer and a lecture at Bugema University said they are trying to empower women councilors to understand the rules of procedures  in the district councils and be able to influence the decision making process to their benefit. “Through this, they will be able to develop a sense of advocacy for a gender agenda in legislative and political processes and uplift the engendered political systems and structure,” She said. Obbo noted that despite the affirmative action, the government had failed to facilitate women’s structures in the country.

The former MP Budama North, Tezira Jamwa urged women councilors to form caucus groups and be passionate while fighting for the rights of the marginalized. Jamwa, who is also a facilitator at national level for women organization said the government had done its role of giving space and structure, the remaining had to be carried on by women leaders.

Sironko District Speaker ,Ms Mereth Mudenga thanked the organizations for equipping them, but he pleaded to the government to increase the resource envelope given to the districts, saying the envelope is not enough to accomplish their planned budgets.

The Female Youth Councilors complained that the government had blacklisted them in the youth enterprise fund since they hadn’t been active in the informal sector like they male counterpart.

The Forum for Women in Democracy Program Assistant in charge of Women and Leadership, Ms. Flavia Kalule said they aim is to equip women councilors with skills and knowledge for effective legislation and advocacy of their rights. She said there was huge information gap among the female councilors compared to male councilors, which they fighting to close up.

Fred Wambede, Daily Monitor Reporter, Mbale district