TAKING STOCK OF WOMEN CAUCUSES AT THE DISTRICT

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Forum for Women in Democracy held  two workshops mentoring and support supervision workshops in Tororo and Kiboga concurrently in the first week of October 2014. These workshops aimed at enabling women to have functional caucuses that will ably influence council decisions for gender sensitive laws.
 
Majority of the women Councillors reported to have been able to influence their respective councils. For example, in Wakiso, the council agreed that  if any toilet stances are to be constructed in a school, half of them must be for girls.
The women of Wakiso have also mastered the art of lobbying, advocacy and networking which has enabled them reach out to several relevant resource persons like the CAO, District Statistician among others, who have learnt to consult with the women's caucus before making critical council decisions.
In Mukono district, the women influenced the budget in a way that 37% of the budget had been channeled to maternal health. They also lobbied PACE, an NGO in the district to encourage women to report Gender Based Violence cases. this organization gave them a toll free line for reporting the cases to police and to the organization. They also lobbied the District Health Officer to recruit more female staff in Nama Health Centre after discovering that many women did not want to go for antenatal care since there was more male staff that they are uncomfortable with.

Public health was the critical issue that came out strongly and it was resolved by stating that need for more networking within neighboring districts  so as to have a big hospital constructed in an area to save the health centers from over congestion and the effects that come as a result of that.
The women were introduced to the Women With Whisles Campaign on the second day. Women with Whistles movement are aiming at collective voice and action of women in rebuilding Uganda.

The declining management of public affairs and the seemingly loud silence of citizens are disturbing this group of women as Uganda slides into a failed state.

Women Councillors pose for a photo after a workshop session. 


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