D emo c r a c y : R u l e o f l aw, r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n Figure 1: Making progress 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Percentage of women in Uganda’s parliament Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 36 not used their numbers to influence resource allocation to critical areas such as maternal health, and sectors like agriculture where the majority and poorest of the population who are largely women eke a living. Conclusion Uganda has made tremendous progress towards gender equality over the last 20 years. The country has one of the most gender-sensitive constitutions in the world, and has many laws and policies in place to address gender imbalances and women’s empowerment. The challenge remains at the implementation level. Because many government bureaucrats do not really appreciate gender issues, planners do not adequately provide for interventions that specifically address women‘s needs in sector policies, sector plans and budgets. The result is that the wellmeaning laws and policies largely remain on paper. Government priorities for post-conflict areas continue to focus on physical infrastructure even as the dignity and bodily integrity of women continue to be violated. As such, the government continues to focus on physical infrastructure such as the building of schools while the school dropout rate for girls continues to rise in postconflict areas. Uganda has also made great strides in ensuring women’s participation in leadership and decision making. The provision of a woman MP for each district and for 30 per cent women’s representation in local councils has brought many women into positions of leadership; the hitherto invisible have become very visible, and as a result society is gradually accepting the inevitable: that women make as good leaders as men. References Hassim, S. 1999. ‘From Presence to Power: Women's Citizenship in a New Democracy’, Agenda, 40. IPU (Interparliamentary Union). 2001. Women in National Parliaments, http.www.ipu.org.wmn-e/world htm Edwards, J. and Chapman, C. 2000. ‘Women's Political Representation in Wales: Waving or Drowning’, Contemporary Politics, 6, 4. Abzug, B. and Kelber, M. eds. 1994. ‘Overview from Ancient to Present Times’ in Kelber, M. ed. Women and Government: New Ways to Political Power. London. Praeger. Ahikire, J. 1994. ‘Women, Public Politics and Organisation: Potentialities of Affirmative Action in Uganda’, Economic and Political Weekly, 29, 44. Bonnin, D. 2000. ‘Questioning the boundaries between the public and private: Political violence, women's protests and reconstruction of space in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’ paper presented at the South African Sociological Association Annual Congress, Cape Town, University of the Western Cape. Fraser, N. 1992. ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy’ in Calhoun C. ed. Habermas and the Public Sphere. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Furley, O. and Katarikawe, J. 1999. ‘No-party Democracy: Uganda's Election to the Constituent Assembly, 1994’ occasional paper, Centre for Basic Research, Kampala. Goetz, A. M. 1998. ‘Women in Politics and Gender Equity in Policy: South Africa and Uganda’, Review of African Political Economy, 76. Goetz, A.M. 2003. ‘The Problem with Patronage: Constraints on Women's Political Effectiveness in Uganda’ in Goetz, A. M. and Hassim, S. eds. No Shortcuts to Power: African Women in Politics and Policy Making. London: Zed Books. Jonasdottir, A. 1988. ‘On the Concept of Interest, Women's Interests and the Limitation of Interest Theory’ in Jones, K. and Jonasdottir, A. eds. The Political Interests of Gender: Developing Theory and Research with a Feminine Face. London: Sage. Jones E. Gaventa, J. 2002. ‘Concepts of Citizenship: A Review’, Development Bibliography 19 Sussex: Institute of Development Studies. Kanyomozi, G. 2001. ‘Parliamentary Elections: Did Women get a Fair Deal?’ Arise Magazine, 32. ACFODE, Kampala. The Right Honourable Rebecca Kadaga is a lawyer and politician. She was elected Speaker of the Ugandan parliament in 2011 (the first woman to hold the post) and, in September 2013, chairperson of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association). She has served as MP for the Kamuli District Women's Constituency, Busoga sub-region, since 1989. 0 2001 Male Female 2005 2011 Source: Parliament of Uganda website: http://www.parliament.go.ug.
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