Career almost cost Nakaweesi her family

By Alice Emasu

SOLOME Nakaweesi Kimbugwe is known for being vocal and controversial particularly on women’s emancipation.
Although she had already established herself in the women’s movement in the country, she came into the limelight when she, together with a group of other women activists, introduced, strongly defended and tried to stage the first-ever pornographic play on women’s sexual violence called the Vagina Monologues (VM). The play was banned by the Media Council last year.

Kimbugwe, who has since acquired the title of VM, is starting off 2007 with an international job as the Executive Director of Akina Mama wa Africa. This is a Pan African non-governmental organisation committed to the empowerment of women in leadership, gender mainstreaming at the African Union (AU) and advocacy for their human rights.

Akina Mama, founded in 1985, operates in a number of areas in Africa, including Uganda where the sub-regional office for the East and Horn of Africa is.
Kimbugwe was formerly the coordinator for the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), a leading women’s advocacy and lobbying coalition in the country. Her new position will be based at the Akina Mama’s head office in London but will later move to Kampala.

“I’m the first Ugandan woman to be appointed to this office. I thank God because the post was very competitive. Every country on the continent would have loved to have one of its national take up the post. My ability to raise and defend controversial issues on women’s rights and my consistence to handle them could be one of the reasons this job was given to me,” Kimbugwe answers about whether the position was on merit.

A mother of two, the activist advises the defenders of women’s rights to emulate her example of not sticking to one job for many years. “I believe in democracy and therefore, I should practice it. Quitting UWONET at this time was my plan to create space for other women to serve in the same capacity.”

About her involvement in the VM campaigns, she says: “For as long as I was working at UWONET, I promoted the VM debates. There are issues I promoted even when as an individual, I didn’t subscribe to them. Kimbugwe, also a former part-time lecturer at the School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences of Nkumba University, advises Ugandan women activists not to worry about her quitting UWONET.
“Having me at the Akina Mama Head Office is strategic. I will continue to support the country’s women rights work especially, through the Akina Mama’s Sub-regional office in Kampala,” she reassures.
She insists that women activists in the country need to continue to do a lot of advocacy and lobbying for women’s rights, given the slow pace at which the Ugandan society appreciates gender concerns.

Most people, due to patriarchy, still view women as a category of people with low status, a belief that perpetuates gender imbalances and inequalities in all spheres of life. She also says many career women are still being held back by these inequalities.

Josephine Lubwama of the International Medical Corps, a relief and health care training NGO for emergency cases based in Uganda, describes Kimbugwe as a strong-willed person. Once she has decided to do something, she does not let anybody stand in her way.

“She has been a strong pillar in the women’s movement. She took advocacy for women, like the campaign on the VM, to certain heights until hot debates were generated around it for purposes of creating awareness on the sexual violence women suffer.” Lubwama adds: “It may have not been her personal view but the issues of the institution she represented.”

Patricia Munabi, of Forum for Women in Democracy, says despite confusions that dominate most network organisations, Kimbugwe was able to effectively manage UWONET.

“Kimbugwe has been able to further raise the profile of the network through media relations and presentations she makes during meetings. She has brought out the issues that the network believes in at different fora,” Munabi says.

Born to Sarah Naiga-Muwayire and the late Gaster Muwayire-Nakana, Kimbugwe holds a masters degree in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, Norwich in the UK. This, she obtained in 2000 after receiving a Second Class Upper Division B.A in Social Sciences in 1997 from Makerere University. She is an old girl of Trinity College Nabbingo, Gombe Secondary School and Uganda Martyrs Namugongo Primary School.

Kimbugwe’s achievements have not come on a silver platter. Her story dates back to 1995 as a second year student. She decided to marry the father of her children, a man 13 years older than her.

“I was living in a world of confinement under the strict eye of my parents. When I joined University, I wanted to enjoy ‘freedom’ without anybody monitoring my movements. The man who I met was irresistible,” says the 33-year-old activist.

As a married woman, Kimbugwe scored a second class upper division degree, an achievement she attributes to her commitment to excel.
“In spite of being married while still at University, I remained committed to my studies. I used to be at the University library at 7:00am every day to do my course work,” she says.
Her challenge was to balance motherhood and career. Her husband discouraged her from seeking for a job after she gave birth.

“My husband provided everything I needed but that did not stop me from searching for a job. I wanted to put into practice what I had studied.”

She scooped a job with Uganda Revenue Authority but did not stay there long.

Later, she had to choose between leaving her 14-month-old baby, her marriage and going for further studies in the UK.

The decision to study in London was very disturbing because she could not imagine leaving her baby behind for long.
Kimbugwe was also torn between losing her marriage for studies.

“My husband had vowed to marry another woman and divorce me if I went for studies. Because I had always negotiated my way out of every situation, I negotiated with my husband, assuring him that I would return to be his wife,” she says.

“Because society is biased and does not permit women to do anything to benefit themselves, many people advised me not to further my studies simply because I was newly-wed and a young mother.”

After reflecting on the benefits of her career, she decided to make the move. “I left my family, not that I did not love my baby, job or husband. I realised that advancing my career would benefit the entire family and not myself alone, as society has sometimes made people believe,” Kimbugwe says confidently.
Kimbugwe recounts that while abroad, she missed her home and particularly her baby.

“There were moments when I would speak to my babies’ photographs pinned on the wall in my university residence whenever I was lonely; moments I wept and made endless telephone calls. But I knew I had to accomplish what had taken me to the UK. I knew it was the best decision I had made and that time would come for me return to my baby.”

Kimbugwe says she got a lot of support from her husband, baby-sitter and mother. While her mother would keep the baby on weekdays, her husband would pick the child on weekends.

She was forced to do part-time jobs (kyeyo) simply to try and shop for her baby. “I wanted to get the psychological satisfaction that as a mother, my studies were not interfering with my roles and responsibilities. I knew that his father was capable, yet I had to send money and do my part for the baby.”
She has no regrets about her decision.

On her return, she found her husband still as loving and caring as before. Kimbugwe thinks that her achievement opened up her husband’s eyes to look at her as a partner, not that little girl he married.

She advises: “Nothing should stand in our way as women. Our decision to advance our career does not only benefit us as women but our families and the community.”

Kimbugwe’s decision to work for Akina Mama in London was boosted by her husband’s support. She was too busy to send in her application. “My husband kept on reminding me to put in my application. When I did and got the job, he promised to do everything possible to see that nothing blocks my career path.”