Entrust women with leadership to stem corruption - Mutuuzo

Women are less corrupt compared to their male counterparts and should be entrusted with the management of valuable national resources and leadership, state minister for gender and culture, Peace Mutuuzo has said.

"Whenever a woman is put into a position of responsibility through a ballot or appointment, she is self-accounting. Now that corruption is strife in our country, we can only urge the government to place valuable resources in the hands of women," Mutuuzo said.

The minister cited Kole district leadership which at one had 80% of women in leadership.

"When I visited them, I was very impressed. Their challenge was a few men in leadership who were trying to swindle government funds and the women stuck to their guns and held the ‘men by the horns.' This shows you how first we attain development if leadership is entrusted with women," she said.

Citing Rebecca Kadaga, the minister extolled the first female Speaker of Parliament for exhibiting decorum and leadership competencies of what a woman can deliver. 

She said core ministries such as Education, Health, Lands, Works and Energy are headed by women and have performed well.

Earlier on Wednesday, while speaking at a national consultative meeting on strengthening women's political leadership in Uganda, Mutuuzo said women constitute over 51% of Uganda's population emphasizing that those who intentionally leave women behind, do it at their own risk.

The meeting was organized by the Centre for Women in Governance (CEWIGO), a national level women's rights organization that promotes gender equality and women's empowerment.

CEWIGO executive director Bonnie Kiconco said they are building capacity for effective women participation in politics to change perception.

"We are still very low in taking up leadership roles. We need to invite and support more women to take up leadership from the grass-root leadership to the national level," she said. 

She said following sensitization in at least 9 districts of operation, women can now air out their views to influence decision making in local government councils.

"Formerly, women would simply attend council meetings. They had never learnt of the power in their voices to articulate issues for policy formulations that directly affect them and their children," Kiconco noted. 

CEWIGO program manager Prudence Atukwase noted that attaining numbers in politics is not just enough.

"We should ask ourselves, what are those women in politics doing? Are their deliberations affecting fellow women at the grassroots?" Atukwatse asked.

She said if there are debates in Parliament and local government councils, on access to safe water, health, land management, women are expected to be at the forefront of making women issues more visible.

She observed the need for male allies who are still many at different levels of decision making. Of the 76 cabinet ministers, 32 are women.  There are 160 females out of 459 MPs.

Women's participation in leadership and decision making continues to be limited, yet it remains a top priority and a critical element for achieving gender equality.

Only when women have full access to decision making positions will laws, policies, and budgets reflect the needs of all citizens and support women's rights.

Uganda is a signatory to several international, regional and has national laws and policies that advance the participation of women in public leadership.

These include; the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR), 1325, Beijing Platform of Action and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 1 and 3.