Will new women leaders carry on the legacy?

Florence Alice Lubega emerges in a wheelchair, her aging face beaming with joy at the sight of a visitor. She is now 103 years old and still manages to remind us that she served as a legislator in Uganda back in the day.

She is not just any legislator though. According to Lubega, there were five men and she served as the only woman on the Legislative Council (LEGCO) between 1958 and 1961.

In 1962, she returned as Member of Parliament representing Ssingo North West Constituency, now present day Mityana and Mubende districts. This made her the first female Ugandan MP.

“People voted for me. They wanted a woman in Parliament,” she says in her mumbling speech.

Decades before Uganda’s independence, the role of women in Uganda’s politics remained restricted. It is only with independence and a new constitution in 1962, that women above the age of 21 were allowed the right to vote. The National Assembly established at the time had two women out of 90 members and that would be the most female members until 1989.

Florence Ssetimba, Lubega’s niece and caretaker, knows too well the fight she put up during her vibrant political years.

“One achievement she has always been proud of is fighting for the rights of the girl child,” Ssetimba says.

In her maiden speech on March 11, 1959 to the LEGCO, Lubega had an appreciation for the missionaries that shouldered the burden to educate girls but it was not enough. Mixed schools had few girls. 

“…in some, there is only one male teacher to teach subjects which ought to be in the girls’ timetable, domestic science, art, literature and others. We cannot afford to leave these subjects put off an African girls’ education at the time of social change. They would make her more attractive, especially for marriage since it was regarded in our society as the only career open to many girls. One of the aims of education is to develop a lively curiosity leading to a desire for knowledge not confined to the immediate environment. I still do not see how this is going to be achieved in the girls’ education…” an excerpt from her speech reads.

In a 2017 book chronicling Lubega’s contribution to Ugandan politics, Parliament highlights her push for the enactment of marriage regulations, allowing women to inherit marital homes under her presidency in Uganda Council of Women in the late 1960s.

Even as deputy minister of Planning and Community Development and Deputy Minister of Labour under Obote 1 and Idi Amin’s regime, she occupied herself with working on policies on politics, health, housing and business for women. That has not changed to this day. “Let women do agriculture. Let women trade,” Lubega mumbles.

As great as it seemed finally breaking the glass ceiling, it came with its own trials. “Being the only woman was a challenge,” Lubega says.

Far west of Kampala, Kasese is home to Loyce Bwambale. When National Resistance Army liberated Uganda in 1986, it kick-started her political career as a village leader.

“The purpose was to participate as a woman because the political voice was having women participate in politics of development” she recalls.

In fact, that was the highlight of her maiden speech in National Resistance Council (NRC). A young, vibrant and energised Bwambale made it her life’s goal to mobilise women to play a positive role in politics.

“Women have ideas. They can acquire knowledge and those can help them participate in liberating women from exclusion in public service as politicians,” Bwambale remembers her talk at the time.

In Kasese, where she had grown up amidst traditions that kept women in the kitchen, the former head teacher wanted to start with issues that were close to her heart.

“My programme was girl child education for the people of Kasese and Uganda. That is why, somewhere, Universal Primary Education came about and we made sure it was inclusive. At first, government was paying school fees for four children. We insisted that two of those must be girls,” Bwambale narrates.

They fought for girls who had dropped out of school due to pregnancy to return to school. “I am glad that there is commitment towards that though it is not expressed in law very well. We struggled for the 1.5 points to be added to girls enrolled at Makerere and we have seen that increase enrollment in higher education,” she says.

With three terms under her sleeve, Bwambale had something to show as Kasese Woman MP from 1989 to 2006. She had witnessed the making of a constitution that would work for the interests of women. 

“When it came to the Constituency Assembly where I participated as a representative for Kasese, we made the constitution of 1995 gender responsive. There are very many articles including 31 and 32 which discourage discrimination in aspects of culture, politics, social and economics. You should not be segregated based on gender,” she says.

From establishing women councils at all levels, a new government aided girls’ secondary school in the district, women’s savings groups, improved cooking technologies, donkey transport in the mountains and dairy goat farming among women, Bwambale, also former deputy minister of Gender in 1992,  was on course in her efforts.

“The culture of the Bakonzho saying women do not own goats ended. Mindsets changed knowing women could sell a goat,” she says.

Gains have expanded to recognise and appoint women to full ministerial positions on the executive. Women like Namirembe Bitamazire, Miria Matembe, Irene Muloni, Syda Bbumba and Victoria Sekitoleko embody these achievements. However, women still face a battle maintaining their political position. Women fall short on skills for proper political discourse.

Child bearing and marital responsibilities weigh heavy on their careers. Traditional mindsets continue to spin carousels of reasons why women should be anything but wives.

“If as a woman MP you wished to run as a direct MP, the fight you would take was serious. Immediately, after making the Constitution, we lost a number of powerful women who stood against men in constituencies. We were always fought by male colleagues,” Bwambale says, “They got worried when you became politically sharp. You would be called all sorts of names in the community. That is why I am proud of Betty Amongi and Betty Nambooze.”

With unequal access to income, Uganda’s money politics push capable women out of elections. It is for this reason that Former Minister of Ethics and Integrity Miria Matembe, who also served as Woman MP for Mbarara City and member of Pan-African Parliament, is asking for a return to politics based on serving the people.

After almost a 15-year break from elective politics, the lawyer contested for the National Woman MP for elderly persons in the 11th Parliament but lost to NRM’s Peggy Waako. Media reports including in the Daily Monitor have since emerged with voters allegedly admitting to receiving Shs40,000 each to elect retired social worker Waako.

“Mine was not an election but a bulk voter purchase,” Matembe alleges, “The electoral commission facilitates voters when they come to the Delegates Conference. But the NRM gave money to their three flag bearers, too much money. The candidates transported voters, fed them, accommodated them and in the morning, they gave voters money. All they did was to vote Waako.”

Matembe joined elective politics at the peak of liberation by National Resistance Movement (NRM). She embraced the fresh start afforded by the NRM. “We embraced that environment with passion for gender equality and women empowerment. All factors were conducive for that fight. As I talk now, the democratic environment has be clamped down not only for women but everybody,” she says.

The environment gave women a chance at freedom. Her enthusiasm, she says, had everything to do with serving women interests unlike today.

“We were driven by a cause to change the plight of women and girls in Uganda. Can you name two or three women who have in the last 10 years run for the cause of gender equality?” Matembe asks,

“What is driving them is getting employment. We have an intimidating political environment that cannot allow individuals to express themselves freely or do what they want.”

The recently concluded Member of Parliament elections ushered in new faces including Shamim Malende, Agnes Nandutu, Shartsi Kuteesa and Joyce Bagala. From the 10th Parliament, about 47 female MPs retained their seats including Margaret Muhanga, Betty Aol ,Cecilia Ogwal, Anita Among, Peace Mutuuzo, Robina Nabbanja, Goretti Kitutu and Persis Namuganza.

Time will tell whether the newly elected women can carry on the legacy of their predecessors. To the new female leaders, Matembe says humility, knowledge and submission to Godly principles should guide them.

“There was a purpose for putting the woman MP and it’s been lost,” she says. Women must learn from experienced, knowledgeable women interested in gender issues. They must allow mentorship by the women’s movement,” she adds.  Matembe adds: “They must separate the gender question from the party lines. Women suffer same way regardless of the party one subcribes to. The women in NRM get money and become ministers but I appeal to them to know they are going to Parliament on behalf of their fellow mothers and sisters. They should not take the party line even when it undermines women’s rights.”

There are worries multiparty politics could threaten the place of female leaders. Pioneer legislators want to see the politicking skills put to use for betterment of women.

Dokolo Woman representative, Cecilia Ogwal, who has been in Parliament since 1996, has just received another term. She believes women have registered progress in the past 10 years by amending laws that make it difficult to abuse women’s rights.  “The Marriage and Divorce Bill is the one we found difficult to push because so many issues were wrapped up in one package, so we decided to dismantle it, deal with individual areas and we have been successful,” she says.

Betty Amongi has represented Oyam since 2001 and admits the representation of women is very visible.  “If you are a woman and you are not delivering to women who are majority voters, you will not make it back to Parliament. But let’s not think that because you are a woman leader, you must exclusively work for women. At the end, you are solving the problems affecting everyone,” Amongi says, “I know women continue to work for empowerment but we must look at the broader challenge of addressing poverty. When resources are insufficient to take the population to middle income economy, it is not just women who should move, it should be the entire strata of society.” 

First woman MP

Florence Alice Lubega was the first female Ugandan MP in 1962. She represented Ssingo North West constituency, the present day Mityana and Mubende districts