Invest in girls’ development, minister urges Ugandans
Girls need more than talent to succeed. They require access to education, mentorship, finance, technology and professional networks to turn their ideas into reality. The Government has urged deliberate investment in girls’ skills development and economic empowerment to help them overcome barriers and realise their full potential.
Dr Lakisa Mercy Faith, the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs (5th left) poses for a group photo with the awardees. (Credit: Nelson Muhoozi Mandela)
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The Government has called for increased investment in girls’ education, skills development and economic empowerment, warning that without deliberate efforts to expand their opportunities, many will struggle to realise their potential.
Dr Lakisa Mercy Faith, the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, said talent alone is insufficient to overcome barriers that prevent girls and young women from advancing in education, leadership and enterprise.
“Talent in itself is not enough to end a culture where fear is a constant state,” she said during the National Girl Champion Awards 2026 held at Design Hub in Kampala on October 8, ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child
She said girls needed access to education, mentorship, finance, technology, professional networks and spaces where they could develop and implement their ideas.
“Without access to education, without access to mentorship, as well as finance, technology, networks, trades, spaces and capital, your ideas will never come to reality,” she said.
Lakisa said the Government recognised girls and young women not merely as beneficiaries of development programmes, but also as partners, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders and agents of change.
She called for deliberate efforts to remove barriers that prevent girls from remaining in school, acquiring relevant skills, participating in decision-making and establishing businesses.
She added that girls should be protected from violence, discrimination and harmful practices while being supported to build confidence and pursue leadership opportunities.
“Therefore, increasing opportunities for growth means removing barriers and creating pathways for them,” Lakisa said.
The minister congratulated the finalists, saying that reaching the national awards platform was itself a significant achievement, given the millions of girls across Uganda who deserved opportunities to showcase their abilities.
The awards were organised by the Centre for Integrated Community Development (CICD-Uganda) to recognise girls and young women making contributions in their communities despite poverty and other social and economic barriers.
Investment in girls is not optional
Francis Mondo Kyateka, the Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said investment in girls’ development should be treated as a responsibility shared by government, communities and individual households.
“Investment in the development of the girl child is not an option. It is the only way to go,” Kyateka said.
He challenged parents and guardians to examine how much of their household budgets went towards the welfare, education and development of girls.
“It’s incumbent upon all of us, living in our household level as a father, as a mother, what are you doing to promote investments in the girl child’s well-being?” he asked.
He also called for reflection at national, regional, community and family levels on the progress made in advancing girls’ welfare, particularly as the country marked the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11.
Kyateka said the awards were intended to encourage individuals and institutions to increase their investment in girls’ development.
“Without meaningful investment in the upbringing of girls, we are building ideological bankruptcy set up,” he said, emphasising the need for society to recognise the value of girls.
Recognising community impact
Jonan Nduhuura, the chairperson of the National Girl Champion Awards 2026 organising committee and founder and team leader of CICD-Uganda, said the initiative was established to provide a national platform for recognising girls and young women whose achievements might otherwise go unnoticed.
He said the idea was inspired by musician Maurice Hasa’s song, “Kalikeka some, let the child go to school”, which prompted the organisers to bring together State and non-State actors to celebrate girls’ achievements.
Nduhuura said the awards recognised contributions in areas including education, health, agriculture, social innovation and social enterprise.
“We are looking at whatever small they have done, but also there are those who have done big things, but we look at the contribution they have made in their society,” he said.
He said the selection process involved inviting applications, screening candidates and having judges interact with them before identifying the winners.
The initiative deliberately seeks to recognise girls working at the grassroots, including those in underserved communities, rather than focusing exclusively on people who have already achieved national prominence.
“We are also looking for that person who is at last mile, at the borderline in Kisororo, at the borderline in Kapelebyong, how are they changing their lives and transforming opportunities that exist around them?” Nduhuura said.
He described education as a key instrument for expanding opportunities, arguing that it enables girls to overcome barriers and pursue economic empowerment.
“Education is the equalizer. It breaks those barriers, and all of us, we are where we are because of education,” he said.
Nduhuura said CICD-Uganda hoped to establish a Girl Champion Awards Impact Fund to support the expansion of promising innovations developed by girls and young women.
The organisation is also building a database to track the work of award recipients in different parts of Uganda, he added.
Sexual and reproductive health
Martha Mbabazi Atai, representing AHF, said support for the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) award was informed by the impact sexual and reproductive health challenges can have on girls’ lives and future prospects.
She said the organisation had supported girls through mentorship, leadership training and platforms where they could speak about issues affecting them.
These engagements had included meetings with youth council representatives, parliamentarians and government ministers, allowing girls to share their experiences and propose action on matters affecting their lives.
Atai said such platforms could help girls’ concerns reach policymakers and inform legislative and government interventions.
The winners
The awards recognised girls and young women from different parts of the country for their contributions in various fields. Each winner received an accolade and sh1m.
The winners were:
Media Champion Award: Whitney Najjuka, Wakiso
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Champion Award: Gloria Immaculate Nanguni, Tororo
Survivor Advocate Award: Nichole Musiime
Girl Earth Award: Viola Nakadama, Buikwe
Girl Innovation Award: Naluzze Sandra, Mpigi
Sustainable Development Goals Champion Award: Jovita Akampurira, Ibanda
Girl Education Award: Allen Atukunda, Nakaseke
Girl Champion of the Year Award: Esther Muhindo, Kasese
The awards were held under the theme, “Increasing Opportunities for Girls and Young Women Everywhere”, in line with efforts to promote girls’ participation in education, leadership, innovation and community development.