Swedish ambassador, four others implore women to seek legal advice

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A team of ambassadors has implored the women in Karamoja to always seek legal advice.

Speaking on behalf of her colleagues at a stakeholder’s dialogue at Lokodiokodioi Primary School in Napak district on September 10, 2025, the Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, Maria Håkansson, said many women in the Karamoja sub-region and the entire country do not seek legal advice from relevant authorities.

Karamoja affairs minister Peter Lokeris shares a moment with the ambassadors at the Moroto district chamber hall. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)

Together with fellow Ambassadors from the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and Denmark, Håkansson said they were 'visiting our shared partnerships in Karamoja'. 

"As female voices, we are proud to stand alongside these remarkable women," she later posted on social media.

During her engagement in Karamoja, the ambassador said several strong women have ended up being jailed, yet eight per cent of the food eaten in the country is produced by women.

Håkansson noted that what was amazing and fascinating is that most women do not own land here in Karamoja, as it belongs to men.

She encouraged the local leaders to solve the women's problems, urging them not to make the lives of others difficult, 'so let’s stop those differences but amplify women's voices'.

“It’s the first time the ambassadors have come to Karamoja in such big numbers,” she said, adding that it’s such a good partnership with the district local governments and development partners in the sub-region.

Håkansson said the retreat is a national purpose to monitor the work done in partnership with development partners in Karamoja and West Nile.

“We shall monitor with you because the issues involve accountability,” she said, adding that huge funds have been allocated for gender equality, inclusion and persons with disability.

Hakanssen added that the ambassadors want to see what has been achieved by the taxpayers, saying the four countries have provided money to Uganda.

Irish Ambassador to Uganda, HE Mags Gayner speaks at the civic engagement held at Lokodiokodioi Primary School in Napak district. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)

She congratulated the Government of Uganda for the prevailing security, adding that by and large 'we have to support the Uganda government', saying their countries hope to have new inspirations in future.

The ambassador appreciated the Government of Uganda for empowering women in Karamoja and the entire country.

"I want to implore the Government to support women so that they can take up other roles,” Hakanssen noted, adding that women need to go through a shift, they also need to respect each other and take responsibility to fight for their rights.

She also advised women not to fight each other but unite to promote economic empowerment.

The four ambassadors are on a three-day retreat in Karamoja to assess and monitor civic engagement projects, express efforts by the government to advance gender equality in the region.

They are Signe Winding Albjerg of Denmark, Frederieke Quispel of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Mags Gayner of Ireland.

Lokeris speaks

Uganda's Karamoja affairs minister, Peter Lokeris, said women are mothers of the nation and that the region is made up of a patriarchal society, saying most men practice hostilities on women.

"Most men treat women as domestic workers,” Lokeris said, urging men to respect the female fraternity.

A Karamoja cultural women group entertains ambassadors at Lokodiokodioi Primary School in Napak district. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)

Napak Resident District Commissioner Milton Odongo said the partnership has caused a lot of changes in the lives of women through their empowerment in terms of, among others, property ownership.

“We want to ensure women now fully own land,” Odongo noted.

He, however, said the awareness remains a bit low in the villages, adding that women do not have the techniques to connect through the pathways.

“It's good elders have been trained to mediate by FIDA,” Odongo said.

On statistics

The executive director of FIDA Uganda, an association of women lawyers, Lilian Byarugasa Adriko, said over the last 16 months, through enhancing access to justice in Moroto, her organisation handled 2.548 cases.

Ambassadors pose for a photo with Karamoja affairs minister Peter Lokeris at the Moroto district chamber hall. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)

Out of those cases, 1,665 involved females and 883 were for males, an issue that underscored that women remain the majority of justice seekers.

She, however, said FIDA has strengthened partnerships across the justice chain.

Jesca Ruth Atta, the director of Nakere rural women activists – NARWOA, said they were united by a shared mission to amplify the voices of rural women.