With an aim of championing the promotion of gender equality legislation in Uganda and placing young people at the core of Uganda’s governance and legislative processes, the School of Women and Gender Studies (SWGS) in Partnership with University Forum on Governance (UNIFOG) with support from Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), commissioned a specific fora for young gender equality leaders.

The fora to be implemented in the four regions of the country, was first conducted in the Western part of the country at Pelikan Hotel, Mbarara, from 19th – 20th October 2018. The forum is part of the project, entitled “Gender Equality Project”, whose aim is to leverage the imagination and energy of young people to be champions of change in the gender equality legislative and policy discourse.

The two day event gathered 80 young men and women in politics, academia and from the rural areas of the districts in which the project works namely, Kabale, Kasese, Rubanda, Hoima and Mbarara. It also drew on participation of senior decision-makers and influencers from politics, civil society as well as cultural and religious institutions.

Dr. Sarah N. Ssali, Dean SWGS, and also the project Principal Investigator making a presentation during the fora

In his remarks, the Project director who also doubles as the Director, University Forum on Governance, Mr. Bruce Kabasa noted that the Youth Forum feeds into the general objective of the project which is contributing towards upholding gender equality legislation in Uganda. He further noted that the project seeks to engage even the peripherally marginalised groups of Ugandans.

In so doing, the differences amongst communities that have always gone unnoticed will be addressed.

“Youth of the same community are not a homogenous group, thus, they have very different needs. It is such bundling up of ideas and groups of people that the policies and laws passed address issues pertaining to the majority, leaving out some whether deliberately or accidentally”, said Mr. Kabasa. 

Mr. Bruce Kabasa (extreme right) making his remarks.

The platform brought a wealth of knowledge to the participants, along with the youth who got an opportunity to define their aspirations for policy and legislative change, as well as the areas where implementation of existing laws require strengthening.

The forum also provided the youth with an opportunity to debate the state of gender relations in Uganda as well as the policy and legal frameworks for gender equality.

Paricipants being taken through an exercise