ECONOMIC WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN UGANDA

Irrespective of the achievements Uganda has registered on the struggle to empower her women population, there is still a lot of need for increased effort on economic women empowerment. This is because there are still evidences of women who have been denied economic rights in different parts of the country. Some women are not given an equal share when it comes to property inheritance. Others are not allowed to access education and the little that attend schools are not given opportunities to further their studies so that they can uplift their lives as women of the nation.

When we are talking about economic women empowerment in Uganda, we are talking about having a population of women who can start their own businesses which meet global standards, women who can take their children to schools of their dreams at any point in life even in the absence of their husbands.

How can we achieve success in economic women empowerment in Uganda?

One might be wondering on how he or she can do for Uganda in order to achieve success in economic women empowerment, below are some of the ways in which it can be done.

• Fight against discrimination against women. It is true that there are cultural and religious beliefs in Uganda that have not fully adapted to freedom of women. They still believe that women cannot run participate in productive activities. They consider women’s role as being restricted to domestic work and child bearing. Discrimination against women is an enemy of economic women empowerment in Uganda and Africa as a whole.
• Gender responsive budgeting at all levels of governance. If you want to economically empower women in Uganda, it is important that women be put into consideration whenever and wherever there is budgeting. Uganda has registered success economically by simply making gender sensitive budgets for the past twenty to thirty years. A gender sensitive budget is one that puts the needs of women into consideration without throwing away those of men (Gender mainstreaming). Gender responsive budgeting does not only increase on economic women empowerment in Uganda but also increases accountability hence poverty and corruption eradication.
• Women economic participation. There is also still a need to encourage and bring women on board to fully participate in economic processes at every stage if Uganda is to register success in economic women empowerment. The need to break some rigid beliefs in different Ugandan communities for example those that believe that “women were meant to be domestic workers.” This will push women out of their comfort zones and they will start their businesses and participate in the production of goods and services hence registering success in Uganda’s effort to realize economic empowerment of women in the shortest time possible.
• Enhancing women’s access to credits and markets. In order for Uganda to register tremendous success in economic women empowerment, there is need to create a production environment that is women-friendly. This can be achieved through pursuing credit, training and market access initiatives. These will encourage women to participate in production of goods and services. Remember enhancement comes along with relevant trainings that will equip women with money making knowledge and skills. Trust me when this is done, it will be easy for Uganda to register tremendous success when it comes to women economic empowerment.

Conclusion.

Whether in businesses, firms, non-governmental organization, it is important to invest in economic women empowerment because it sets a direct path to poverty eradication and gender equality which are key economic growth of Uganda, Africa and the world as whole.