VIDEO: Uganda challenged on gender equality

Uganda challenged on gender equality

What you need to know:

  • Uganda women achieve 80 per cent of the human development outcomes but this is not enough
  • The report analysed the political, economic and social drivers that hamper African women’s advancement and proposes policies and concrete actions to close the gender gap

Kampala.

A new UN report, has warned that Uganda has to accelerate gender equality by empowering more women in all spheres of development if the country is to achieve the much desired middle income status

President Museveni has declared that Uganda will be a middle-income country by 2020, a matter that has sparked off public debate. But while the Africa Human Development Report 2016 under the theme “Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa” launched Monday morning credits government for making some progress, the experts say this is not enough and could fail the realisation of the President’s vision.

“When we look at the trends so far, Uganda women achieve 80 per cent of the human development outcomes but this is not enough. We have to achieve gender parity across all sectors,” Yemesrach Assefa, the Uganda Economic Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said.

Mr Herbert Kabafunzaki(2ndL),State Minister for Labour, Social and Economic Development, launches the National Africa Human Development report 2016 with ,Ms. Rosa Malango(R), UN Resident, Ms. Almaz Gebru(L), UNDP Country Director and Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Ms. Kwiyucwiny Grace in Kampala. Photo by Alex Esagala.

The report analyses the political, economic and social drivers that hamper African women’s advancement and proposes policies and concrete actions to close the gender gap.

Some of the solutions proposed include addressing the contradiction between legal provisions and practice in gender laws; breaking down harmful social norms and transforming discriminatory institutional settings; and securing women’s economic, social and political participation.

Discussing the report, Mr Richard Sewakiryanga, the executive director of the National NGO Forum, said men in Uganda ought to become more progressive and understand that they benefit more from women emancipation than the women themselves.

Citing an example of the marriage and divorce bill which Parliament has failed to pass on many occasions, Mr Sewakiryanga said it was impossible for Uganda to have a better Human Development index when basic things like the home are not sorted.

“We have an elite conspiracy, the men like me and others who put on ties are becoming the problem to gender equality and the reason we are capturing all institutions and creating a systemic male bias,” he said.

Former executive director of the Uganda Investment Authority, Dr Maggie Kigozi, said there was a great shift of mindset among Ugandans.“Young women are ready for business; they have the capacity because many of them are graduates or have some level of education. Our young people are different and for me that is exciting,” she said.

She said many young educated Ugandans with access to technology are engaged in agriculture and expressed optimism that the next report would put Uganda in an even better position.

Ms Rosa Malango, UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda, said the report was important for Uganda because it “provides an opportunity to start a conversation”.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the report notes that gender inequality costs on average $US95 billion a year, peaking at US$105 billion in 2014– or six percent of the region’s GDP – jeopardising the continent’s efforts for inclusive human development and economic growth..