Liberate the total woman
Mar 07, 2007
As we celebrate the International Women’s Day, there is still need to unshackle the Ugandan woman.
As we celebrate the International Women’s Day, there is still need to unshackle the Ugandan woman.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2006, Uganda ranks an enviable 48 out of the 115 countries in attaining gender equality. The ratio of female Members of Parliament to men in Uganda is 30 per cent, compared to 7 per cent for Kenya and 20 per cent for Britain. At 23 per cent, Uganda has more women in ministerial positions than Kenya with 10 per cent and Britain with 20 per cent.
However, the balance begins to tilt when we move to the general wellbeing. The odds against Ugandan women are still many. A nation can not develop when half of its population limps on shackled limbs. It is a mockery for a baby girl to survive the childhood killer diseases only to become a school dropout with the subsequent evils of child marriages and child prostitution.
It is even a worse mockery for a nation to invest in universal primary and secondary education only for the young graduate to die in childbirth or to end up becoming a victim of domestic violence.
Uganda has made some gainful strides in political empowerment, the same support from stakeholders and political will should be harnessed to emancipate the total woman. As a matter of urgency, resources should be allocated and relevant laws like the Domestic Relations Bill enacted and operationalised.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2006, Uganda ranks an enviable 48 out of the 115 countries in attaining gender equality. The ratio of female Members of Parliament to men in Uganda is 30 per cent, compared to 7 per cent for Kenya and 20 per cent for Britain. At 23 per cent, Uganda has more women in ministerial positions than Kenya with 10 per cent and Britain with 20 per cent.
However, the balance begins to tilt when we move to the general wellbeing. The odds against Ugandan women are still many. A nation can not develop when half of its population limps on shackled limbs. It is a mockery for a baby girl to survive the childhood killer diseases only to become a school dropout with the subsequent evils of child marriages and child prostitution.
It is even a worse mockery for a nation to invest in universal primary and secondary education only for the young graduate to die in childbirth or to end up becoming a victim of domestic violence.
Uganda has made some gainful strides in political empowerment, the same support from stakeholders and political will should be harnessed to emancipate the total woman. As a matter of urgency, resources should be allocated and relevant laws like the Domestic Relations Bill enacted and operationalised.