Forum for Women in Democracy Uganda

Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga was on 19 th May 2011, elected the Speaker of the 9 th Parliament after receiving 302 votes defeating Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi who scored 57 votes. Witnessing this historical moment were representatives from Forum for Women in Democracy, and other women activists. On announcing her as winner, the women’s activists were seen hugging and shaking hands, a sign that this is not only a victory for Hon. Kadaga but for all the women of Uganda regardless of political affiliation, religion, class.  “This is a historic moment for the women of Uganda. Hon. Kadaga has broken the barriers to women’s participation in leadership and her victory is an indication of the trust that the Members of Parliament have in her capabilities and competencies.  We are glad to have been a part of this historic moment, we now have a woman occupying the 3 rd most important office in Uganda” stated Patricia Munabi Babiiha.  Hon. Kadaga, a re-known women rights activist...

  Women & men take part in the women's vigil for peace walk 09th may 2011 Clad in white , holding pans, plates, spoons and placards, the women of Uganda this morning sounded their voice to condemn excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies which saw 9 people killed, injury of more than 100 persons and destruction of property as citizens’ demanded for government’s response to address increased commodity prices.    “We are carrying saucepans to show government that with high food prices, it is becoming impossible to sufficiently feed our families” stated Julie Luutu an activist from Forum for Women in Democracy and when asked on why they were wearing white Julie said the women chose white because it was a neutral color that won’t be associated with any political party in Uganda.   In what was dubbed as a women's vigil for peace , the women walked from Kira Rd Police stretching to Yusuf Lule and Acacia Roads and back to the playgrounds,...

Hon. Kadaga meeting members of UWOPA and FOWODE In a move to strengthen advocacy for gender budgeting in government sectors, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Kadaga convened a meeting attended by Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) and the Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) Executive Committee to discuss new strategies to enhance gender budgeting in the 9 th parliament.  The Deputy Speaker noted that despite FOWODE’s engagement with parliamentarians and government technocrats at national and district level for improved gender budgeting, there is little progress registered in this area. Members then shared opinions on how to take gender budgeting advocacy to another level and both long and short-term strategies were proposed. These included the need to demystify gender perceptions through demonstrating how gender budgeting affects men and women as well as to unpack gender budgeting message as it is broad.

TRANSFORMING WOMEN’S LIVES The change we want to see 2011-2016 Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) congratulates fellow citizens for having actively participated in the recently concluded Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government elections. We further congratulate those elected to the different leadership positions, particularly the women who had to overcome significant cultural and systemic barriers to get into these positions. We acknowledge the achievements realised in empowering women, but we are concerned that while the status of women has advanced significantly in the past 25 years, the progress has been distressingly slow even as new and diverse challenges affecting the advancement of women continue to arise. Guided by a common agenda for the promotion of the rights of women as fundamental, non-negotiable and inherent human rights, the women of Uganda in October 2010 launched “Equal by Right: The Uganda Women’s Agenda 2010-2016” , which brings to the forefront key issu...

A televised poll conducted on 10th February 2011 during NTV Uganda’s popular TV talk show ‘On the Spot’ revealed that 87% of Ugandans did not think maternal health was prioritized in the political party manifestos. The TV program, sponsored by Forum for Women in Democracy and FEMNET, was held to discuss and analyze the positioning of maternal health in Ugandan politics. Guests included, Hon. Betty Kamya Presidential Aspirant, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda representing the NRM presidential candidate, Hon Nabila Sempala Nagayi for IPC Presidential candidate,  and two health experts; Ms. Robinah Biteyi from White Ribbon Alliance and Dr. Daniel Murokora, the head of the Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Uganda. An analysis given by the health experts presented a grim picture emphasizing the need to redress maternal health in Uganda. The experts noted that although Uganda boasts of reducing maternal mortality ratio from 505 to 435 for 100,000 live births, this figure is still unaccep...

Evelyn Anite a FOWODE alumnus wins the Northern Uganda Youth MP seat for 2011-2016. Anite of NRM won with 725 votes defeating innocent Ayo(FDC), Francesca Amony (Independent), Job Okello (UPC) and Kennedy Oluma (UFA). In her victory remarks, she vowed to fight unemployment among youth from northern Ugandan and pledged to link them t o government programs and forming a youth development plan to engage youth in income generating activities like carpentry and joinery.

A statement on the recent elections by the women of Uganda We, the women of Uganda, congratulate fellow citizens for having actively participated in the 2 nd multiparty elections since Uganda returned to multiparty system of democracy in 2005. We further congratulate those elected to the different leadership positions, particularly the women who had to overcome significant cultural and systemic barriers to get into these positions. As we start a new period of nation building, we take time to reflect on some of the successes and shortcomings of the election so that we can build on the successes and identify mechanisms to mitigate the shortcomings for a better future. Prior to the elections, sections of the public expressed lack of confidence in the Electoral Commission. A series of demonstrations and dialogues were organized in different parts of the country calling for electoral reforms and an overhaul of the current Electoral Commission in favour of an independent body to manage th...