Women join forces to battle sexual harassment in politics

Mar 04, 2023

Women in politics have now formed an interparty women's organization under which they will mobilize each other and share ideas on how to go about the problem of sexual harassment.

Maria Matembe addressing the congregation during the launch of the Inter Party Women Platform (IWOP) in Kampala on 2nd March 2023. Photo by Godiver Asege

Ibrahim Ruhweza
Journalist @New Vision

Women participating in active politics have raised concerns over what they call increasing cases of sexual harassment from their male counterparts.

They say the vice is frustrating their chances of flourishing in politics.

Some argue that it is demotivating many women to compete for leadership roles in organizations.

Women in politics have now formed an interparty women's organization under which they will mobilize each other and share ideas on how to go about the problem of sexual harassment.

They launched the Interparty Women's Platform (IWOP) at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on Thursday.

The group said the campaign against sexual harassment has begun in earnest and they hope it will motivate them into politics.

IWOP is a platform for women’s leagues in politics that currently comprises the following registered political parties in Uganda:

- National Resistance Movement (NRM)

- Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)

- Alliance for National Transformation (ANT)

- Democratic Party (DP)

- Uganda People’s Congress (UPC)

- Justice Forum (JEEMA)

- Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA)

- Ecological Party of Uganda (EPU)

Testimonies shared during the launch event indicated that most of the women who are into politics have been sexually abused yet the authorities take long to act on the alleged perpetrators.

Aisha Walligo, the president of the Democratic Party Women's League, said that without women in politics, there will be poor delivery of services, which in turn affects community development.

She said cases of sexual harassment are committed in secret against women, and only a few manage to speak out.

Apart from financial and biological (giving birth) bottlenecks, sexual assault is a serious scarecrow that has caused many women to pull out of active politics, letting their male counterparts compete freely.

Sarah Nakintu, the new chairperson Inter Party Women Platform (IWOP) signing on the commitment file as Aisha Waliggo interim chairperson of IWOP looks on. (Photo by Godiver Asege)

Sarah Nakintu, the new chairperson Inter Party Women Platform (IWOP) signing on the commitment file as Aisha Waliggo interim chairperson of IWOP looks on. (Photo by Godiver Asege)

According to Walligo, out of the 353 direct positions at district constituencies, there are only 14 for women, and that out of 166 district chairpersons, only three are women.

She attributed the problem to sexual harassment.

Walligo said that the handful of women who succeed in politics are either financially stable or they can use the magic of the 'thigh power', which leads to other related problems.

In Uganda, one in five women aged 15 to 49 have experienced sexual violence. Fear of harassment and abuse are part of many women’s daily realities, but they are often disregarded.

In September 2018, lawyer Samantha Mwesigye filed a sexual harassment complaint against her boss at the justice ministry and hoped it would end a cycle of unwanted sexual advances at workplaces, but nothing much was done to the accused.

In the same year, a female student who accused her lecturer of attempted rape faced severe backlash at her university. According to her former lawyer, Isaac Ssemakadde, the complaint was disregarded by the dean of students, who disclosed the information and said she would face consequences.

Walligo affirmed that sexual harassment is in every sector, including business and sports.

'Free and skill women'

In January this year, Speaker of Parliament Anita Amongi urged employers to protect women against sexual harassment.

Meeting female Parliament staff at Hotel Africana, Among said many young girls are subjected to sexual violence but opt to keep quiet because of the need to protect their jobs as their only source of income.

She said every woman should stand up against the problem and report whoever tries to sexually harass them.

Women's rights advocate and former ethics and integrity minister Miria Matembe said for women to succeed in this great cause, they should join forces and educate fellow women about their rights and direct them to offices where they can report such offences.

"I want to tell this nation that without women's empowerment, this country will not move," she said.

"I don’t know why they cannot understand the need to free women and empower them with skills to boost and contribute to the development of this country."

Matembe said that besides sexual violence or harassment, Uganda's current politics is also characterized by materialism, corruption, militarism, violence, and self-centeredness.

She rallied women to unite not only in politics but also in other notable areas and use one voice to defend themselves.

Anna Reisman, the country director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Uganda and South Sudan, said that empowering girl children to speak out boldly could solve everything.

She said cases of sexual violence are in every part of the world, and the only solution would be continuous sensitization of the public.

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