We Empower

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to address the fact that there was no single recognized driver to direct UN activities on gender equality issues. This had come at a critical period for women’s rights and gender equality in Uganda as there was increased recognition on the need to address challenges around combatting violence against women, addressing high levels of mortality, gaps in education, gaps in education, women’s participation including in the peace and security agenda. The Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS) of 2006 and 2011 had exposed the high-levels of violence against women and girls in the country, and became an urgent national priority for Uganda’s development. It marked the beginning of a shift in focus of actors in the country to urgently address these issues and saw the adoption of key laws and policies towards this shift. Guests: Hon. Miria Matembe, former member of the Pan African Parliament and Minister , Jenner Forster- Policy advisor UN Women ESARO and Florence Butegwa- Independent expert on Women affairs and Human rights.  Host, Kenyangi Keshia, KQ Hub Africa

Women are faced with significant barriers to gender equality especially around finances, employment, education, unpaid care-work and gender-based violence, yet the pandemic further compounded this. The Generation Equality Forum was conceived to address the challenges faced by women and girls globally and accelerate progress towards the realization of the Beijing agenda.  Conceived prior to the pandemic, the 2021 Forum became even more pertaining in light of the unequal burden borne by women during the global lockdowns and a new discussion on accelerated progress emerged. Guest: Former ad-interim UN Women Country Representative Adekemi Ndieli Host, Kenyangi Keshia, KQ Hub Africa

In Uganda, one of the world’s youngest populations, the government adopted the National Development Plan III and from this the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework to support its implementation.  The last two years saw sharp spikes in the cases of domestic violence reported to police, unprecedented rise in teen-pregnancies and high numbers of women-led businesses closing, exposing already concerning gender gaps in access to finance/collateral and technology in uganda, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Joined by a representative from Uganda Network of Young People living with HIV/AIDS, UNYPA, one of UN Women's instrumental partnerships, to discuss these developments. Guest: Ruth Awori, UNYPA Representative Host: Kyosimire Priscilla, Fraune Ug

With a renewed focus on financing for gender equality and UN Women’s work in Uganda, UN Women pushed their work on social norm change in this period with various partners and initiatives, supporting the initiation of the Uganda chapter for both the African Women's Leadership Network (AWLN) and the Council of Traditional Leaders of Africa (COTLA), in addition to the Men at Work for Gender Equality (Men at Work) among others. The government of Uganda developed their third national action plan (NDPIII), which saw a shift to the programme-based approach and introduction of the Parish Development Model, and the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) which actualized UN reforms on the ground by further streamlining the work of the UN in the country. Yet despite this the period came with serious challenges in the realm of women's rights in particular for the country, efforts to combat violence against women, advance women's economic empowerment and decades of work were threatened by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and subsequent health measures.  Guest: Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women ESARO Regional Director  Host: Kenyangi Keshia, KQ Hub

With the introduction of a feminist foreign policy by Sweden’s then minister of foreign affairs Mrs.Margot Wallström, the government of Sweden signed up to support the Un women Ugandas country office. With the aim of developing women's political participation, economic recovery, ending violence against women, increasing access to justice and women's participation in peace and security. This paved the way for increased development partnerships in Un women Uganda's work on the ground and paved the way for import growth in the office. Join us as we discuss the work and advocacy in the policy realm that began to take place from 2013 - 2018 Guest: Ambassador of Sweden Maria Håkansson Host: Kenyangi Keshia, KQ Hub