Museveni has promoted gender equality — Nabakooba

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Lands minister, Judith Nabakooba, has hailed President Yoweri Museveni for promoting gender equality in Uganda.

She was speaking as a chief guest at Kassanda district's belated Women’s Day celebration held at St Charles Lwanga Lwanjiri Catholic Parish playground in Kalwana sub-county on April 3.

The minister said the Government’s introduction of affirmative action policy in 1989 shifted gender dynamics in favour of women.

“Before the Government introduced affirmative action for women, we used to be housewives, and our roles were to produce and raise children, take care of gardens and stay at home, but now the narrative has changed,” she said.

She emphasised that the President believes in women and keeps urging them to continue working hard to improve their financial status.

Lands minister, Judith Nabakooba (c) speaking as a chief guest at Kassanda district's belated Women’s Day celebration held at St Charles Lwanga Lwanjiri Catholic Parish playground in Kalwana sub-county on April 3. (Courtesy photo)

“The President encourages us to work hard and this government has transformed us as women to ensure gender equality. We have powerful women in this country who are doing a commendable job through leadership established by our President,” Nabakooba said.

She encouraged women to use this opportunity granted by the Government to uplift fellow women and also lobby for socio-economic programs to boost their living standards.

The minister noted that socio-economic programs such as the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), GROW, Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, among others, are potential poverty alleviation programs that women would use to boost their household incomes.

To date, Kassanda has so far received sh116m UWEP funds to support women. This money was channeled to their account in the 2023/2024 financial year.

This financial year, 22 UWEP groups were mobilised and approved, awaiting endorsement for further consideration by the gender ministry, according to Nabakooba.

She congratulated women in Kassanda for the sacrifice they made to celebrate women in the district and acknowledged the selfless efforts by their leaders to pull up a big function.

The celebration was held under the theme, “Accelerating action for gender equality”.

Lands minister, Judith Nabakooba (L) handing out a certificate to one of the women at the event. (Courtesy photo)

What others said

Serina Kasozi, the Kyankwanzi district women's council chairperson, told Nabakooba that at least 18 women group projects benefited from the UWEP money they received.

She said the women got money ranging from sh5m to sh8m, venturing into projects such as goat rearing, poultry keeping, bull fattening, produce buying, salon operation, dairy farming, maize farming, tailoring, and cattle rearing.

Kasozi noted that they join the rest of the world annually to celebrate women, and this year, the day provided an opportunity for reflection and taking stock of what has been done to empower women from all corners of Kassanda.

“This day helps us to address challenges which affect women in Kassanda, inspire and motivate young girls and women to pursue their dreams, challenge stereotypes and become good leaders in their community,” she stressed.

Phoebe Namulindwa, the Kassanda Resident District Commissioner, appreciated men for supporting their women, arguing that for a family to stand still, it must have a hardworking woman, but this can only happen if the man backs up his woman.

“If your cup is full, it means you can share it with others. Let’s keep as one person, a man and a woman, by supporting each other, that is a happy family,” she tipped couples.

She condemned domestic violence that usually stems from poverty, calling upon the residents of Kassanda to use government programs to have some productive work done and fend for their families.

Rev. Fr Robert Migadde, a priest at St Charles Lwanga Lwanjiri, applauded the minister for the commendable job she is doing to support the Catholic Church activities and supporting women in greater Mubende.

Through her ministry, Nabakooba has helped women to get rightful ownership of their land, and they can now establish commercial projects on that land, which has boosted their income, according to the priest.

Fr Migadde also appreciated the minister for supporting the church in fighting land grabbers by introducing a program of updating their trustees.

Nabakooba instituted a team from the ministry that is working with church-formed teams across the country to title all the land belonging to the church. This, the gathering heard, has shielded church land from grabbers because untitled land exposes it to grabbers and encroachers.

The minister congratulated women in Kassanda for the sacrifice they made to celebrate women in the district and acknowledged the selfless efforts by their leaders to pull up a big function.