Fugee: Breaking into a male dominated world
Feb 05, 2006
IT is surprising in Uganda for a woman to become a manager for an international company at 21 years and more surprising when she has a first class degree in electrical engineering.
By Pidson Kareire
IT is surprising in Uganda for a woman to become a manager for an international company at 21 years and more surprising when she has a first class degree in electrical engineering.
Fugee Atuhwera started working as an assistant sales manager at LM Ericsson International while in third year at Makerere University before she graduated with a first-class degree in electrical engineering, majoring in telecommunications.
However, this was long overdue; she had always dreamt of breaking the tradition that favoured men. As a young student, she was disturbed by the biased talk that girls were weak and could not do anything on their own. She grew up with the philosophy of “If boys can, why not girls?â€
Atuhwera says she was emancipated and empowered right from childhood. Throughout her life, she has been against gender stereotypes. Luckily, her parents were educated and liberal democrats who encouraged her to do what pleased her.
“I don’t see any barriers blocking girls from penetrating this field. There are very few female engineers, especially in electrical engineering,†Atuhwera says.
A decade later, she has realised her dream. She is the youngest manager in Uganda. She did not look for a job; LM Ericsson identified her through her lecturers and requested her to work with them.
Atuhwera is a modest lady. She is the first-born and they are four children. Her schoolmate and now workmate, Lilian Dokoria, says, “She is a bright and courageous girl who was brought up under strict environment. We had a lot of fun studying with her and now that she manages sales in the company that I also work for, I am glad and believe she will do her best.â€
Atuhwera says she does not think girls fear taking science subjects because at Gayaza High School there were many students taking Science subjects. She says she was, however, surprised to find out that in a class of 70 students in the electrical engineering class, there were only 20 girls. Seven of the girls got first class degrees.
To her this proves that it is not a matter of ability but of opportunity. More girls should be given the opportunity and encouraged to study Sciences.
She has never believed in Science being a male domain.
“What girls should do is establish love for sciences first and the rest will work out automatically. They should also work hard and try to match their ability and make sure that they are self-motivated,†says Atuhwera.
She did not have a favourite subject in school. In O’ Level she excelled in both arts and sciences and was the tenth best student in the country. At university, she was admitted for BSc Quantitative Economics on government sponsorship but that was not what she wanted to study. She opted for electrical engineering as a private student.
“I owe my parents a lot for giving me that opportunity. They gave me everything I wanted. I did not have to look around for anything,†she says.
Born to Musasira Mutembeya an economist and Efrance Kwarikunda, a veterinary doctor of Kashari, Mbarara, Atuhwera went to Gayaza Church of Uganda Primary School and Gayaza High School. Her parents were keen on teaching her Mathematics when she was young.
Atuhwera has not yet decided to pursue a master’s degree. “I’m working hard to prove my worth, to prove that I can perform. Integrating my lack of experience with the expectations of the system is the only challenge I face,†she says.
Ends
IT is surprising in Uganda for a woman to become a manager for an international company at 21 years and more surprising when she has a first class degree in electrical engineering.
Fugee Atuhwera started working as an assistant sales manager at LM Ericsson International while in third year at Makerere University before she graduated with a first-class degree in electrical engineering, majoring in telecommunications.
However, this was long overdue; she had always dreamt of breaking the tradition that favoured men. As a young student, she was disturbed by the biased talk that girls were weak and could not do anything on their own. She grew up with the philosophy of “If boys can, why not girls?â€
Atuhwera says she was emancipated and empowered right from childhood. Throughout her life, she has been against gender stereotypes. Luckily, her parents were educated and liberal democrats who encouraged her to do what pleased her.
“I don’t see any barriers blocking girls from penetrating this field. There are very few female engineers, especially in electrical engineering,†Atuhwera says.
A decade later, she has realised her dream. She is the youngest manager in Uganda. She did not look for a job; LM Ericsson identified her through her lecturers and requested her to work with them.
Atuhwera is a modest lady. She is the first-born and they are four children. Her schoolmate and now workmate, Lilian Dokoria, says, “She is a bright and courageous girl who was brought up under strict environment. We had a lot of fun studying with her and now that she manages sales in the company that I also work for, I am glad and believe she will do her best.â€
Atuhwera says she does not think girls fear taking science subjects because at Gayaza High School there were many students taking Science subjects. She says she was, however, surprised to find out that in a class of 70 students in the electrical engineering class, there were only 20 girls. Seven of the girls got first class degrees.
To her this proves that it is not a matter of ability but of opportunity. More girls should be given the opportunity and encouraged to study Sciences.
She has never believed in Science being a male domain.
“What girls should do is establish love for sciences first and the rest will work out automatically. They should also work hard and try to match their ability and make sure that they are self-motivated,†says Atuhwera.
She did not have a favourite subject in school. In O’ Level she excelled in both arts and sciences and was the tenth best student in the country. At university, she was admitted for BSc Quantitative Economics on government sponsorship but that was not what she wanted to study. She opted for electrical engineering as a private student.
“I owe my parents a lot for giving me that opportunity. They gave me everything I wanted. I did not have to look around for anything,†she says.
Born to Musasira Mutembeya an economist and Efrance Kwarikunda, a veterinary doctor of Kashari, Mbarara, Atuhwera went to Gayaza Church of Uganda Primary School and Gayaza High School. Her parents were keen on teaching her Mathematics when she was young.
Atuhwera has not yet decided to pursue a master’s degree. “I’m working hard to prove my worth, to prove that I can perform. Integrating my lack of experience with the expectations of the system is the only challenge I face,†she says.
Ends