Women in politics should remain steadfast, focused

A few days ago, the world commemorated the International Women’s Day. As has always seemed to be the case, a few speeches were made heralding the achievements of women, our contribution to development, some random promises and the world scampered off to more important things – until March 8, 2020 when the issue shall be revisited in similar fashion.

There is, of course, plenty to celebrate regarding the tortuous journey that women have made to be regarded as they are currently. The day itself, for example, can be traced to Soviet Russia.

In 1917, women gained suffrage rights in Soviet Russia and March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted by the feminist movement in about 1967.

The United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975. It follows that what was in fact being celebrated was not the general empowerment or recognition of the contribution of women to society, but rather the dubious milestone that women had, for the first time, been allowed to participate in a political process; not as candidates, but as voters.
Today, the International Women’s Day ranges from being a public holiday in some countries to being largely ignored elsewhere, mostly in Europe where it originated. In some places, it is a day of protest.

There is little doubt that as women, we have unshackled ourselves from the initial narrow aspirations that society prescribed for us. We are no longer merely voters, but have, with increasing regularity, risen to the occasion and offered ourselves for elective office at every level of governance.

Examples abound and many at the international and national level need not be restated. It is also true that there are several challenges that hamper this progress.
In Uganda, access to menstrual hygiene commodities is still an issue in primary, secondary and even in tertiary institutions. It is also settled that HIV/Aids disproportionately affects women and girls compared to their male counterparts.

There persists huge income disparities between women and men, and I could go on. And yet we have remained undeterred, marching ever so valiantly in spite of these challenges.
This transformation is important because it has infected all spheres of social, political and academic life. I am a Law student at Makerere University. A few decades ago, not many women could have made a statement as bold and trite.

Enrolment numbers for women in Makerere University Law School have markedly increased so much so that at present, women make up half or a little more than half of the Law School student population. The Makerere Law Society, the student leadership arm of the Law School, has also witnessed significant milestones. In its current form, it boasts of a female vice president, a female speaker and many more women populating its executive.
These women have proved, in our student context, that leadership is not a necessary function of gender. Indeed, their performance over the past year has been nothing, but exceptional.

Currently, the race to replace this executive is similarly promising. Yet again, several women have offered themselves to lead this society and there is no doubt that the electorate is willing and ready to give them a chance.
Yet everywhere I have given a statistic, there is a counter statistic. Where half the students in Makerere Law School are women, it follows that the other half are men, and so on. I thus wish for us to reflect on the role of men in supporting and uplifting women.

Let us recognise and support those that have shown by deed or creed, an appreciation for the inherent value of the woman. Let us not tire to remind ever so gently yet ever so assertively those that continue to subdue, denigrate, disrespect, disparage, belittle and deprecate women not so much for the quality of their ideas, but for the fact of being female.

Let us call them out at every turn; but let our objective – though urgent - not be to embarrass but to educate, let it be not to cause fear but to endear. For in this struggle, we need all hands on deck. We need more allies and fewer aliens.

Ms Mukasa is a student of Law at Makerere University.
@JMLSVP @JulieKylie2