Summary:
Florence Tumuheirwe, Executive Director of Kigezi Women in Development (KWID), argued that the current representation of women,186 out of 529 Members of Parliament in the 11th Parliament reveals a significant gap in the inclusive leadership strategies of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, which has been in power for nearly 40 years.
KABALE: A section of women’s rights activists have called for amendments to the 1995 Constitution of Uganda to ensure equal representation of men and women in Parliament.
The activists made their demands during a radio talk show on a Kabale-based station while discussing women’s emancipation ahead of International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8. This year’s national celebrations are set to be held in Kyankwanzi District.
Florence Tumuheirwe, Executive Director of Kigezi Women in Development (KWID), argued that the current representation of women,186 out of 529 Members of Parliament in the 11th Parliament reveals a significant gap in the inclusive leadership strategies of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, which has been in power for nearly 40 years.
Her remarks were in response to a statement by Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige, who recently noted that the NRM government has made substantial progress in women’s empowerment by affirmatively reserving Woman MP seats in each of Uganda’s 146 districts.
“In 1962, we had only two women out of 92 Members of Parliament, but today we have 186, with 146 elected through affirmative action,” Mwesige stated while addressing the 2nd Women’s Parliament on Monday.
However, Tumuheirwe contended that the 35% female representation in the 11th Parliament remains inadequate and does not reflect Uganda’s demographic reality.
“For example, women constitute the majority whenever UBOS conducts the National Census. Why is this not reflected in Parliament? This is unfair,” she said.
She proposed a constitutional amendment to mandate the election of one male and one female MP from each of the 146 districts to ensure gender parity in Parliament.
“This will not only promote gender equality but also reduce the size of Parliament and, in turn, lower public expenditure on the legislature,” she added.
Grace Ankunda Bwesigye, who has twice contested for the Ndorwa East MP seat against Shadow Attorney General Wilfred Niwagaba without success, supported Tumuheirwe’s proposal. Ankunda, now eyeing the Kabale District Woman MP seat, argued that it is unfair for the government to reserve only one seat for women while allowing men to contest in all available slots.
“In a district like Kabale, where there are about four parliamentary slots, only one is designated for women. I have tried to contest for an open seat, but it’s difficult due to the traditional challenges associated with being a woman in Africa,” she lamented.
Nahabwe Viola, who unsuccessfully contested for the Kabale Municipality MP seat in the 2021 general election, emphasized the need to strengthen women’s leagues within political parties to enable women to compete effectively at all levels, including Parliament.
“If strong female contenders emerged from political party women’s leagues, we would have the capacity to challenge men. Unfortunately, the NRM government has suppressed opposition parties to maintain its dominance,” said Nahabwe, a Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party member.
However, Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Lillian Ruteraho opposed the proposal to equalize the number of male and female MPs through constitutional amendments. She argued that the challenge lies not in the law but in the deeply rooted African traditional setting that favors male leadership.
“The government has already reserved Woman MP seats in every district, yet women remain underrepresented in Parliament. This is because African traditions have historically positioned men as leaders. Even if the constitution were amended, these traditions would not change overnight,” she explained.
RDC Ruteraho acknowledged the need for increased female leadership but insisted that women should appreciate the affirmative action measures introduced by the NRM government. She highlighted initiatives such as the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) and the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project, alongside other programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), all of which include components supporting women’s economic empowerment.
“In addition to reserving Woman MP seats and other political positions, the NRM government has allocated funds specifically for women’s empowerment. These efforts demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing gender-based challenges in Uganda,” she noted.
RDC Ruteraho, who has announced her intention to contest for the Isingiro Woman MP seat in the next election, urged fellow women to take advantage of existing opportunities to advance their political and economic standing.
