Wome n ’s p o l i t i c a l l e a d e r s h i p i n E a s t A f r i c a wi t h s p e c i f i c r e f e r e n c e t o Ug a n d a up by laws in order to secure women’s rights in everyday life. The tactic that has been used by the women’s caucus, right from the CA to the present, is to lobby and get the support from gender-sensitive male members of parliament. In controversial issues, the caucus persuades some of the male members to argue their cases, and as a result alliances are made with ‘gender friendly’ male colleagues. Women in cabinet Uganda has a fair share of female representation at cabinet level. There is an increase in the number of women in the cabinet, from 16 (25 per cent) in the last cabinet to 23 (28 per cent), although it is still below the parity standard set by the African Union. Of the 30 senior ministers, only ten are women. It must be noted that women have been appointed to head key ministries, namely: the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; Education; Health; Energy and Mineral Development; Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; and Water and Environment. Of the 32 junior ministers, 13 are women. Women in political parties The issue of the inclusion and active participation of women in the different political parties, however, remains problematic because there are very few women holding positions in party executive decision-making organs and structures at all levels. Political party leadership in Uganda is male dominated. Although the major political parties commit to specific indices of women at each level in the structure – NRM 30 per cent and FDC 40 per cent – the reality is different. The NRM for example has only five women out of a total of 20 members at the national executive committee (NEC), the highest organ of the party. Looking at one district of Mitooma, the NRM structure has only two women out of ten executive members and this is because only one position is actually reserved for women and the rest have to be competed for with men. Many women do not have the confidence to compete with men for such positions. The situation can therefore only change if there are more equitable quotas such as the ones the constitution provides for parliament and local councils, because political parties are the first glass ceiling that women have to break through to get into political positions. Fighting for legislation important to women When the all-inclusive NRM finally gained power in 1986 the number of women’s organisations increased for various reasons: the country stabilised; the availability of donor funds increased; and a state, which proved to be unable to provide services like taking care of orphans, the elderly and the sick, retreated. The AIDS pandemic especially has placed new burdens on women as it has always been women’s responsibility to care for children and sick people in a community. But, perhaps more importantly, the NRM government’s language on the empowerment of women has encouraged many women to become members of NGOs (Tripp, 2000: 115–122). Challenges to women's participation in leadership in Uganda The negative cultural attitudes and beliefs Women are perceived as possessions and known as wives, mothers and caretakers. Uganda being a patriarchal society, men are dominant in decision making. Women who strive to take part in leadership are ridiculed as wanting to be ‘men’ – money minded, ambitious, immoral and unruly; as a result, women become shy, lack confidence and have low self-esteem. Men do not allow their wives to attend meetings as they fear that women are being lured into relationships with other (male) leaders. Women’s workload at home The other aspect that affects women’s political empowerment is the triple workload which women carry and, in particular, unpaid care services. The workload can have some negative impact on women’s horizontal mobility if it impacts the time they have to invest on political activism or even to relax. Low levels of education The literacy level of aspiring women political leaders affects their capacity to comprehend and engage in technical processes that the government engages in. Despite good government policies to promote education for all UPE and USE, a large number of women are unable to access careers in leadership due to a low level of education. Inadequate resources Women do not have ownership of productive resources such as land and property. In a bid to meet household responsibilities, women are engaged in food supply with agricultural labour and informal employment, both of which are characterised by a high workload and unpaid labour. This leaves them with no funds or time for politics or the development of leadership skills. Most women leaders in Uganda lack negotiation and lobbying skills. This undermines their capacity to compete favourably with their male counterparts as well as their confidence. Women’s biological roles and responsibilities Some men feel that women may not serve well when they are pregnant or caring for young children. As a result of their domestic roles, female leaders may find it hard to keep time or meet deadlines at work, resulting in poor participation in the decision-making process. Girls are not often elected to leadership positions since they are likely to move to another community upon becoming married. Low levels of political influence While women in parliament have used their numbers to lobby and get gender sensitive legislation passed, they have Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 35
CGH13_ebook
To see the actual publication please follow the link above