KAMPALA:The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, has asked for laws that make it easier for women to get justice.
According to the Archbishop, the safety and security of women in homes and the public remain a concern for faith leaders. Kaziimba was speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the Church of Uganda cook day, which was held in honour of International Women’s Day, when he talked about women’s rights.
To symbolically break down the gender roles that keep women from being involved in the social, economic, and political agendas of Uganda and the world, religious leaders, women, and men came together to cook.
“It is important to keep giving and strengthening opportunities to empower women and girls,” the Archbishop said in a statement. Women and girls should be able to have a strong voice and be equally involved in strategic decision-making at all levels.
It is crucial to also recognise the constraints and challenges that hinder women and girls’ empowerment, especially structural, religious, and culturally based biases and stereotypes. One of the most important things for policymakers and other people to do right away is to deal with the unpaid domestic helpers who keep women and girls from getting ahead in the labour market, said Kaziimba.”
Kaziimba also said that there was a lack of clean water, a higher risk of getting hurt in disasters, sexual and gender-based violence, and other problems that need to be fixed right away.
Celebrations of International Women’s Day took place in Uganda under the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”
While addressing the nation during the national celebration at Kololo Airstrip, President Yoweri Museveni highlighted the different government programmes that have been put in place to facilitate women’s empowerment.
The President mentioned the Emyooga Fund and the new Parish Development Model (PDM), saying that it is only through financial empowerment that women can be less vulnerable. The 490 billion PDM is meant to end poverty through development projects in the parishes.
It replaces the Emyooga, a presidential initiative on wealth and job creation that was rolled out in October 2020 to support, among others, market vendors, welders, taxi drivers, boda-boda riders, women, and restaurant owners who come together in the form of SACCOS.