Women take lead in commerce, education, law

International Women's Day remains critical in ensuring that women’s issues remain central to national development priorities, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has said.

“International Women’s Day rekindles our efforts to put women’s issues back on the national agenda,” Amongi said in an exclusive interview with New Vision Online a few days leading up to Women's Day (March 8, 2026).

Over the years, government has implemented a series of legal reforms and institutional measures aimed at strengthening women’s rights and improving access to justice.

Among the most notable achievements has been reforming laws that historically discriminated against women. According to Amongi, changes in inheritance laws have significantly improved women’s rights to property.

“Those days, when somebody dies, the culture will not allow you to leave a girl as your heiress,” she said. “But the Succession Act has amended that. So we have put in place several laws, and laws are very important because without laws, you cannot go before courts. You will not have justice, and you will not access justice.”
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The minister emphasised that legal reforms must be supported by strong institutions capable of enforcing the laws and protecting victims.

“You must have institutions and empower them because before you go to court you need an investigation and gathering of evidence for you to present before court,” she explained.

As part of strengthening the justice system, specialised structures have been established within law enforcement and the judiciary to handle cases involving gender-based violence.

“In police, we have the family division of investigation,” Amongi said. “Within the Criminal Investigations Department, we have a department that deals with sexual offences and investigates them. Within the Director of Public Prosecutions, we have a different department that fast-tracks sexual offences and how to gather evidence around them.”

Judicial reforms have also been introduced to make the justice system more sensitive to survivors of violence. Courts now allow victims of sexual offences to testify privately to protect their dignity and safety.

“Courts have made reforms where they have managed to provide what we call witness protection,” Amongi said. “Women can now testify in camera because many feared to go and talk about how they have been raped or how defilement occurred when everybody is looking at them.”

The government has also established special court sessions aimed at accelerating trials involving sexual offences, with support from international partners.

Beyond formal institutions, the ministry has strengthened collaboration with community structures to address gender-based violence at the grassroots level.

Domestic violence and land disputes often begin within community justice systems, particularly local council courts.

“We are also building capacity of the local council courts to dispense justice for issues around domestic violence,” Amongi noted.

The minister credited increased public awareness for helping to expose cases of violence against women and girls.

“If you see on social media so many people recording violence, I want to thank the public,” she said. “The public is now conscious about the violation of the rights of women and girls. They record, they post, they condemn, and they cooperate in giving evidence.”

The government has also partnered with the health sector to strengthen the collection of medical evidence in sexual offence cases.

“Before, in cases of defilement and rape, you needed a police form completed by a medical doctor,” Amongi explained. “We have now partnered with the Ministry of Health to designate doctors in health centres to ensure that the police form used to obtain medical evidence is filled in time.”

Another key strategy has been working with cultural and religious institutions to reform harmful traditions that undermine women’s rights.

“We are partnering with kingdoms, traditional leaders and religious leaders to reform the cultures and norms that subjugate women,” Amongi said. “Most of them have passed by-laws to outlaw things like marriage below 18 years and to remove practices that deny women access to land and property.”

 Economic empowerment has also been prioritised as a critical tool in preventing violence and strengthening women’s independence.

“When women have resources, then they are able to make decisions on their own lives,” the minister said. “If a woman is abused and she has resources, she can go to the police, get a lawyer and even rent another house for safety.”

Government programmes such as the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme, the Youth Livelihood Programme, the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) initiative, and the Parish Development Model have provided financial support to women across the country.

 Gender-based violence 

Legal aid services have also been expanded through partnerships with civil society organisations and the legal fraternity to assist women who cannot afford legal representation.

Despite the progress, Amongi acknowledged that gender-based violence still affects both women and men, although women remain disproportionately affected.

“We encourage men also to report cases of violence against them because the law works for both men and women,” she said.

“But historically, women and girls have been more affected, which is why more emphasis has been put on protecting them.”

As Uganda celebrated International Women’s Day 2025, government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening legal frameworks, empowering women economically and transforming social norms that perpetuate gender inequality.

For Amongi, the ultimate goal remains clear: creating a society where women and girls can live in dignity, safety and equality.   

Janet Kataaha Museveni, the First Lady, promised to do all in her power to promote women empowerment, urging that a woman who is not empowered remains vulnerable to all kind social tremors, including gender based violence.

 Orphan's support 

“We should always focus on uplifting women, particularly in rural areas, and enhancing the girl child's opportunities,” she said in an interview recently. She added that such a move is key to eradicating poverty,” said Mrs Museveni, who is also the minister of education and sports.

Throughout her career, which includes founding NGOs like the National Strategy for the Advancement of Rural Women in Uganda (NSARWU), and the Uganda Women's Efforts to Save Orphans (UWESO), she has advocated for the inclusion of women in decision-making, improved maternal and child health, and girls' education.

Peace Mutuuzo, the State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, highlighted the need for improved legal access for women and girls, especially regarding GBV and property rights, as well as continued support for financial inclusion.

She announced that the national celebrations will be held today at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, with President Yoweri Museveni as the guest of honor.

“We emphasise that while progress in gender equality has been made, persistent barriers in justice and economic participation require urgent, accelerated action, she noted, adding that while Uganda has made steady progress in promoting gender equality, many women, particularly widows and vulnerable girls, continue to face barriers in accessing justice and fully participating in social and economic life.

 She revealed that gender-based violence-related cases account for 32 percent of the country’s case backlog, including defilement, assault, and other forms of abuse.

The minister stressed that improving access to justice is central to protecting women’s rights and advancing national development.