LUCAS MUSISI
Kampala: Betty Amongi Ongom, the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, has underscored Uganda’s renewed commitment to advancing gender equality through targeted initiatives aimed at empowering women economically. Speaking at a media briefing preceding the International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8, 2024, held at the Boma Grounds in Katakwi District, Amongi Ongom emphasized the pivotal role of economic empowerment in fostering women’s participation in the nation’s development trajectory.
With women comprising 51.2 percent of Uganda’s population, as delineated in the 2014 census, and the female demographic surging to 24.5 million in 2023, the government is cognizant of the indispensable contribution of women to Uganda’s socioeconomic fabric. Notwithstanding this demographic preponderance, Ugandan women confront formidable obstacles, epitomized by alarmingly high maternal mortality rates. The figure stood at 189 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022, marking a decline from 336 deaths recorded from 2009 to 2016.
Noteworthy is the national fertility rate of 5.2, with rural locales exhibiting a higher prevalence at 5.6, juxtaposed with the 4.3 rate documented in urban areas. Moreover, 24 percent of women aged 15-19 find themselves either already mothers or expectant mothers with their inaugural child. The specter of intimate partner violence looms large, with 36 percent of women experiencing sexual violence and 45 percent enduring physical abuse.
The imperative of women’s economic empowerment assumes paramount significance in facilitating the entrenched poverty endemic in Uganda, evidenced by a poverty rate hovering around 30 percent in 2019/2020. Particularly vulnerable are households headed by divorced or widowed women. Despite these adversities, Ugandan women exhibit resilience and entrepreneurship, commanding ownership of nearly 40 percent of all businesses. Nevertheless, many of these enterprises operate at the micro level, grappling with limited access to capital and markets.
To redress these inequities, the Ugandan government has instituted various initiatives, chief among them being the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) and the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP). These schemes have collectively provided invaluable support to myriad women and youth entrepreneurs. Additionally, notable interventions encompass the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) scheme, the JUA-KALI Enterprises to Transition into Formal Economy (SENTE) Programme, and sundry projects underwritten by the World Bank, all aimed at bolstering women’s access to entrepreneurial services.
Furthermore, the government has enacted measures to integrate women into public procurement processes and safeguard land rights for marginalized cohorts, epitomizing a holistic approach to women’s economic empowerment. These interventions have precipitated a twofold expansion of Uganda’s economy, catapulting from UGX 64 trillion in FY 2010/11 to UGX 162.12 trillion in FY 2012/2023.
Amongi Ongom has issued a clarion call to all stakeholders, encompassing the private sector, civil society organizations, and individuals, to galvanize support for the government’s endeavors in prioritizing and investing in women’s economic empowerment. She contends that such concerted action will engender a more equitable, just, and prosperous society for all, consonant with the ethos underpinning the International Women’s Day celebrations.
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