PRESIDENT MUSEVENI UNDERSCORES ROLE OF EDUCATION AND SKILLING THE GIRL CHILD IN EMPOWERING WOMEN

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has underscored the role of
education and skilling the girl child in empowering women and the entire
society.

According to the President, when the National Resistance Movement
(NRM) came to power, it fought the suppression of women and other
groups that faced marginalisation on account of cultural and historical
factors.

“We did this by guaranteeing education access for all at primary and
secondary schools levels i.e. UPE and USE. This was a fundamental
empowerment of the girl child because when someone is educated,
he/she cannot be suppressed. That was the real beginning of our
reforms,” he said.

President Museveni who was represented by the Vice President, H.E
Jessica Alupo made the remarks today while officiating at the
International Women’s Day celebrations at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
The celebrations ran under the theme: “Scaling up investments to
accelerate access to justice for all women and girls in Uganda”.

The President explained that in 1986, the NRM government observed
that although women formed more than 50 percent of the total
population of 14 million Ugandans at that time, their full potential was not

realised on account of their education, lack of opportunities, chronic
health and early death.

“Women were trapped in a very disadvantaged position despite the fact
that they were at the centre of the subsistence economy and also
provided at least half the labour for producing the few cash crops,” he
said.

He noted that when the government introduced free education for all,
those who benefited in a special way were the girls because they were
the ones who were kept at home in the past as the resources were
concentrated on boys.

“It is the mother's level of education and access to information which will
decide whether or not she will go for a tetanus vaccination during
pregnancy, whether a trained person will be present at birth, whether she
knows the advantages of breastfeeding, whether foods will be cooked in
the most appropriate way, whether water will be boiled and hands
washed, whether a child will be weighed or vaccinated, among others,”
President Museveni asserted.

“Therefore, education and skilling of the girl child is an effective method
of empowering not only women but the entire society.”
To empower women more, President Museveni added that the
government introduced positive discrimination in favor of women to bring
them to the front.

“For instance, for the university entry, we have the 1.5 points given to
girls, they are free to stand for any elective office, but they also have
additional seats which they compete for. That way, we have been able to

increase their numbers in public offices, and they have proved to be
better leaders and managers than men,” he said.

“During our resistance against dictatorships, we treated everyone
equally and I found women to be more resolute than many men. Thirdly,
in order to provide justice to women, we introduced big punishments for
rape and defilement. This was to protect the women and girls who were
victims of these crimes.”

On the other hand, President Museveni said the government has been
able to fight inhuman cultural practices that undermine the dignity of
women such as female genital mutilation, early marriages, wife
inheritance, wife beating, among others.

Furthermore, the government also introduced poverty alleviation
programs which are aimed at creating wealth and jobs at the household
level. This, the President said, was part of the measures to empower
women.
“When the households get out of poverty through commercial
agriculture, manufacturing, services and ICT, it's easier to address the
remaining challenges faced by women. When families become wealthy,
they are able to educate all their children. Therefore, families getting out
of poverty is a good base for solving many problems,” he stated.
President Museveni assured that the NRM government has put in place
the necessary resources and infrastructure like enough electricity, good
roads, among others, to guarantee the profitability of the business
enterprises.

“However, infrastructure development alone is not enough though it must
come first. Development is a collective good for everyone, but wealth

and jobs belong to individuals, families, groups and companies. We
should not have spectators in the drive towards household incomes.”
On her part, H.E Alupo congratulated Ugandans for the overwhelming
victory they extended to President Museveni and the NRM government
during the recently concluded general elections.

“We thank you very much as elected leaders for exercising your
mandate and electing leaders at all levels to serve you. We're sincerely
thankful to all of you,” she said.

“H.E the President is in Arusha, Tanzania where he was elected the
chair of the East African Community (EAC). Join me in congratulating
H.E the President upon assuming the Chairmanship of the EAC,” H.E
Alupo said.

The Vice President also launched the 2nd national action plan against
gender-based violence 2026-2031, Uganda gender and quality climate
strategy 2026-31 and national strategy to ending genital mutilation 2026-
31.

The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty
Amongi said the International Women’s Day is celebrated in
remembrance of the struggle that women and men throughout the world
went through to achieve women empowerment.

“It is the day that we celebrate the gains that we have made and reflect
on the agenda that still needs to be done. We celebrate the struggle, the
courage of all the women who are determined, the ordinary rural women
who have worked tirelessly to feed and educate their children in order to
anchor Uganda as a society because without a family, Uganda doesn't
have a foundation and without the women, there's no family,” she said.

Hon. Amongi noted that on this day, stakeholders also call for action for
what needs to be done to achieve gender equality.

“We are dedicated to promoting programs that eliminate poverty,
empower women economically and ensure women's standards of living
are improved because we believe economically independent women can
protect themselves and their children from injustices,” she said.

The Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, said
Uganda was privileged to be among the first countries in Africa to
provide opportunities for women to take a centre stage in the leadership
of the country and to determine policies that favour women in the
economic development of the country.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our demand for equal rights and access to
justice is not just a modern fashion, it is a pathway through which
Uganda will be able to develop faster,” she said.
“We have been able to see how women have progressed from the time
the NRM government allowed them to participate in all areas of socio-
economic development.”
She however noted that in the quest and struggle for emancipation and
gender equality, a few challenges still stand.

“Gender-based violence has remained high. 52 percent of all the women
have ever faced physical violence, the few who have not faced such
have at least faced economic violence. Today, we would wish to mobilise
not only women but also men to acknowledge the space for women,
support them in developing this country and maintaining peace
together,” she said.

The United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Uganda, Mr. Leonard
Zulu, said Uganda has made commendable strides in protecting
women’s participation in governance through affirmative action policies,
among others.

“This year’s global theme is a clear call to move from commitments to
concrete results; to ensure that justice is real, accessible in the daily
lives of women and girls,” he said.

“Access to Justice is not only a legal matter but also a development
imperative: a human rights obligation and a cornerstone of peace and
stability.”

Hajjat Faridah Kibowa, the Chairperson of the National Women’s
Council- Uganda, appreciated the women around the country who
supported and voted for President Museveni in the recent general
elections.

“It demonstrates clearly that women are not spectators in nation building
but active partners in shaping the destiny of our nation,” she said.
Hajjat Kibowa also noted that the National Women’s Council was
established by an Act of Parliament in 1993 and continues to serve as
the voice of women from the village to the national level.
“We commend the government's commitment to gender inclusion within
the justice sector. Today women constitute over 50.6% of the judiciary in
Uganda.”
At the same event, a total of 34 distinguished Ugandans were awarded
with national medals for their distinctive role in the development of
Uganda.

The event was also attended by the Chief Justice, His Lordship, Flavian
Zeija, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, the 3rd Deputy
Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Lukia Nakadama, Ministers, Members of
Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, religious and cultural
leaders, among other dignitaries.