New York, (US):– Uganda’s Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fully implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA), a landmark framework for advancing gender equality and women’s rights.
Speaking at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Minister Amongi highlighted the strides Uganda has made in gender equality over the past 30 years.
Amongi noted that Uganda has enacted a robust legal framework, anchored in the 1995 Constitution, which outlaws discrimination against women, promotes equality, and implements affirmative action policies to uplift women and marginalized groups.
Amongi cited significant legal reforms, including the Land Laws, Succession (Amendment) Act, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act, Domestic Violence Act, and the Children (Amendment) Act, which collectively advance women’s rights and protections.
She emphasized that women’s representation in leadership has significantly improved, with 45% of cabinet positions, 34% of parliamentary seats, and 45.7% of local government positions now occupied by women.
Additionally, Hon Amongi said economic empowerment programs such as the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), and the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) initiative have enhanced women’s access to affordable capital.
“We have constructed infrastructure to support women in business, such as markets and common user facilities, and set up innovation and value addition programs. We are running free programs to help women certify their products for market access, register their businesses, and leverage information technology for financial inclusion,” she stated.
The minister further highlighted Uganda’s efforts to reform land and property laws, ensuring women have rights to land ownership and inheritance, saying; “the Succession Act has also been amended to allow girls to be heiresses to their family estates.”
In the education sector, Uganda has prioritized access for women and girls by introducing free primary and secondary education and implementing affirmative action measures, such as awarding additional points for female students in university admissions, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The government has also rolled out skilling programs for rural girls, “second chance education” for adolescent mothers, and policies allowing pregnant and breastfeeding girls to sit for national examinations.
The minister also emphasized Uganda’s investments in healthcare, including the construction of specialized maternal wards and adolescent-friendly health facilities. She added that the justice system has also been strengthened to protect women and girls, with the establishment of special courts for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases, survivor and witness protection mechanisms, and GBV shelters providing emergency support.
Reflecting on these achievements, Hon Amongi acknowledged that progress did not come easily but was the result of relentless advocacy and mobilization by women’s organizations and gender equality champions. “Women had to organize, mobilize, advocate, caucus, and build coalitions to push these issues during the making of our Constitution, laying a firm foundation for women’s rights in all spheres,” she stated.
Uganda remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing the principles of the Beijing Declaration, ensuring that the progress achieved continues to empower women and foster an inclusive and equitable society.
Send us your story or opinion on: [email protected]. You can also follow Daily Express on WhatsApp for all the latest news and updates.
