Behind the scenes: What it takes for women to survive Uganda’s creative industry

From the stage at a concert to a film set, fashion show, recording studio or digital platform, Uganda's creative industry often presents its most polished side to the public.

 

 

But behind the performances, images and entertainment is a different reality for many young women trying to build careers in the sector.

That was the focus of a New Vision live X Spaces discussion on Tuesday, August 25, titled “Behind the scenes: Is Uganda's creative industry working for women?”

 

 

The session featured Mercy Bridget Alupo and Matilda Sang, researchers with the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) Africa, and filmmaker and musician Ann Afrie Nassanga.

 

Their discussion came as ICRW prepared to disseminate findings from its Behind the Scenes: Young Women and Gender-Based Inequities in Africa's Creative Sector project in Uganda.

 

 

The research shows that women are not on the margins of Uganda's creative economy. They make up 55.8% of the creative-sector workforce, according to the ICRW report. The sector is estimated to generate about US$576 million annually, equivalent to about 3% of Uganda's GDP, and employs about 386,000 people based on the available national mapping data.

 

 

 

 

The ICRW study found that 37% of young women surveyed reported gender-based discrimination, while 64% faced gender-related barriers, including unequal task assignments, restrictions linked to family responsibilities and safety concerns, and caregiving burdens.

 

 

For some women, the problem begins with the roles they are expected to play.

The research found that one in four respondents had experienced exclusion from decision-making processes. It also found that 36% had personally experienced gender pay disparities, while 57% had witnessed gender pay gaps.

This raises a question that is often missed when discussing the growth of Uganda's creative economy: who gets to make the decisions, negotiate the money and determine how far a creative career can go?

 

For Nassanga, who works across film and music, these structural issues are not simply statistics.

 

At the August 26 dissemination meeting in Kampala, she said many of the challenges facing women creatives were rooted in systems that fail to support them. She also revealed that her Kalaverse initiative had turned the ICRW research into a film to bring the experiences behind the statistics to a wider audience.

 

 

Safety was another major concern raised by the research.

The ICRW study found that 42% of respondents had experienced gender-based harassment. A quarter reported being pressured for sexual favours, while 44% said they had been propositioned or coerced, sometimes in ways connected to career advancement.

 

 

 

 

Among respondents who experienced workplace gender-based harassment, the New Vision report on the dissemination meeting noted that 79% had encountered comments about their appearance or bodies, 73% had experienced sexualised jokes, 52% had received sexual nicknames and 44% had received inappropriate online messages.

 

 

For a sector increasingly dependent on social media and digital platforms, the boundary between the workplace and online space is becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

 

 

The ICRW report found that 73% of participants use social media for creative work, but noted that digital opportunities remain uneven. Rural women face challenges including poor connectivity, high data costs and limited digital literacy, while online harassment and weak intellectual property protections create additional barriers.

 

 

 

 

The X Spaces discussion also examined an issue that is rarely visible when audiences see the finished creative product: care work.

 

Many creative jobs do not follow a conventional nine-to-five schedule. Shoots, performances, events, recording sessions and networking opportunities can take place at night, over weekends or at short notice.

 

For women with children or other dependants, participating in such an industry can therefore come with another layer of responsibility.

The ICRW study found that 64% of respondents faced gender-related barriers connected to caregiving and other responsibilities, while the research also identified restrictions on mobility and participation linked to family responsibilities.

 

 

At the August 26 dissemination, former legislator and musician Rachael Magoola called for family-friendly spaces in creative workplaces where mothers could safely bring their children while working. She argued that motherhood should not be treated as a disruption to a woman's creative career. NNew Vision

The issue is therefore bigger than childcare alone. It is about whether the structure of the creative industry recognises that women have responsibilities outside their work.

 

 

 

Despite these barriers, the research does not portray young women as simply victims of the creative industry.

 

The report found that 87% of respondents considered their work dignifying, while 80% considered it fulfilling. At the same time, nearly one in six said they had considered leaving the sector because of harassment or hostile working environments.

 

 

Women are finding purpose, income, identity and creative expression in the industry. The question is whether the industry can provide conditions that allow them to remain and progress.

 

 

The ICRW research recommends stronger workplace protections, fair and transparent pay, written contracts, safer reporting mechanisms, protections around pregnancy and childcare, leadership opportunities for women and greater inclusion of women with disabilities.

 

 

It also calls for industry associations and local governments to establish creative hubs that can expand access to training, professional networks and dispute-resolution services, particularly for rural women and creatives with disabilities.

 

 

The August 26 dissemination at Sheraton Kampala brought together government officials, researchers, creative industry players, development partners and young creatives to discuss what should happen next.

 

That question may be more important than the findings themselves.

Uganda already has women participating in large numbers in the creative economy. The challenge is creating an environment in which participation translates into sustainable careers, fair pay, leadership and safety.

As the ICRW report puts it, the sector must move beyond simply creating opportunities for women to enter and ensure that they can also work, lead and build sustainable careers.

 

 

For the women behind Uganda's music, film, fashion, visual arts, crafts, digital content and other creative industries, the question is no longer whether they belong in the sector.

 

 

They are already there.

 

The question is what the industry will do to ensure that they can stay, progress and have a meaningful say in shaping its future.