OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2014, ISSUE 17

Empowered Women :Transformed Societies

Fowode Awarded for Excellence in Instituitional Governance

Fowode Trains Napak

Women Farmers in Mushroom

Growing

Improving Agricultural processing for female

farmers in Amuru,

Amuria and Napak

PreparingWomenLeadersfor 2016

Women With Whistles:

Challenging Status Quo

Governments Must Re-

Dedicate to Women’s &

Girls’ Rights Commitments

Taking Stock of Women

Caucuses at the

District

Advocating for Inclusion

of clause 8 (5) and

55(4) in the Public

Finance Bill 2012

Pg 2 Pg 3 Pg 4 Pg 6 Pg 10 Pg12Pg 5 Pg 13 Pg 14

Povertyis a Violation

of Human Rights

The first ever Gender Summit in Uganda was organized by Diakonia with support from the Swedish International Development Association (SIDA). The Summit brought together partners of Diakonia who were part of a programme that is deepening gender programming in Uganda. The award is given to an organization for demonstrated excellence in gender mainstreaming through effective implementation of Institutional Gender Action Plans.

The Gender Action Plans were developed by FOWODE and other partners following a capacity building programme aimed at strengthening partners gender work and practices.

This year’s Gender Summit was focused on advancing excellence and effectiveness of organizations in gender mainstreaming at all levels (the levels included, Institutional Governance (Main category), Project specific, Communication and Education, Leadership and Workplace).

Winners were chosen on the basis of engaging on-site, interactive learning experiences to create common ground on gender issues and champions for new approaches, motivating and energizing delegates to become advocates/champions of gender accountability and equality, demonstrating good practices and showcasing the excellent work happening in the area of gender.

The award is given to an organization for demonstrated excellence in gender mainstreaming through effective implementation of Institutional Gender Action Plans.

FOWODE AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE IN INSTITUITIONAL GOVERNANCEFOWODE received an award for excellence in Institutional Governance at the 2014 Diakonia Gender Summit that took place on 26th to 29th October.

The various sessions stirred the participants to do introspection on how they can change their generation and the communities in which they operate.

From this training, the participants realized that poverty is a human rights violation. This notion was disputed until the trainer explained that poverty is a result of unequal power relations because those who are in power have not helped the poor to come out of their poverty. Therefore those that are living in power-the duty bearers have an obligation to ensure that they take care of those that are living in poverty.

This doesn’t mean that those rights holders will do nothing about it- they have a responsibility of holding those in power accountable therefore, it is the role of civil society to empower these people to demand for what belongs to them rather than fold their hands and wait for things to happen.

Sadly, in many instances, the political leaders have gone ahead to even own the people, they call them “My people” so when they are campaigning to enter into political office, they make the construction of the roads, medical centers, and access to education sound like a favor.

Forum for Women in Democracy was honored to be part of the Human Rights Based approach training organized by Action Aid Uganda. The training was a foundational course to introduce the importance of using the human rights lens during advocacy. Prudence Nyamishana (Communications officer), Sarah Nakintu (Field Officer Mityana) and Annet Namwaya (Field officer Busia) represented FOWODE.

POVERTYIS A VIOLATION OF

HUMAN RIGHTS ... the trainer explained that poverty is a result of unequal power relations because those who are in power have not helped the poor to come out of their poverty.

There are four categories of people in power relations that every human rights organization needs to know when implementing programmes as illustrated by Arthur Larok, the Executive Director Action Aid Uganda; the powerful comfortable, comfortable powerless, powerless uncomfortable, and the powerful comfortable- Knowledge of these power relations helps to know who to engage.

During the experience sharing session, FOWODE was granted an opportunity to share the Village Budget Club (VBC) model. The fact that this model empowers the rights holders to demand for accountability hence better services, amazed the participants that pledged to duplicate this model in their various organisations.

This training awakened the participants to realities that stirred them to draw action plans. Although FOWODE has been implementing activities that have the human rights component, the need to emphasize human rights was key. Consequently, FOWODE intends to integrate the HRBA in all her programmes as she seeks to promote gender equality in all areas of decision-making through advocacy, training, research and publications.

The women were advised to not only use the knowledge to feed their families and consequently eliminate hunger, disease and malnutrition, but to also increase their household incomes.

When the training was done the farmers were grateful to FOWODE for the rare opportunity

Mama Sagal Paulina chairperson of one of the groups was thankful to FOWODE and JB international for the knowledge she received

” In Karamoja, we are used to wild mushrooms that come out alone without planting but now I have learnt all the stages of growing mushroom which is nutritious and can earn me 30,000shs per Kilogram from investing only ten thousands on seeds. This is new thing in our area and am going to surrender one of my house to plant mushrooms.

Maruk Veronica from Lokopo, “I didn’t know that mushrooms can also fetch one money as business, now that I have attained this knowledge, I am going to start up my gardens immediately after this training so that I can sell and get money to improve my standard of living”.

Celebration marked the air as 50 women farmers from Napak graduated following the mushroom training. At the beginning of this year, the press reported famine that claimed more that 48 lives in Karamoja region. Forum for Women in Democracy in partnership with Diakonia embarked on a holistic food security project to enable the women be food secure.

FOWODE TRAINS NAPAk WOMEN FARMERS IN MUSHROOM GROWING

Lokwii Alice from Lopeei was so excited about mushroom growing, she said this is new project to me, i thought mushrooms just come from the wild, now i have actually learnt that one can invest in mushroom growing and become rich, I am going to share this knowledge with other farmers so that they can also take up this project for us to produce the required tones for JB staff to come and buy our mushroom”

Lobong Veronica from Lopeei said, “I have liked this project and now I’m going to construct one house purposely for mushroom growing so that I can sell some to the local market and also eat some since its nutritious.”

Namoron Santina from Lokopo, said “this project of mushroom growing is so interesting, the materials for growing are locally available, no need to buy, it’s affordable project, for this reason therefore I am going to embrace this project, accept it, own it and love it since it needs commitment.”

FOWODE strongly believes that for women to have a voice they must be economically empowered.

Civil Society Organizations discussed the progress made in the field of women’s and girls’ rights 20 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA) was adopted. Participants said that most of the gains made in Women’s and Girls’ rights since the holding of the International Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 have come under various threats and are facing persistent challenges, notably from widening inequalities between the rich and poor and between men and women due to prioritization of macroeconomic policies that are driven by growth without equitable development and respect for human rights. “HIV, maternal mortality and morbidity continue to be amongst leading causes of death for women; the rising radical and extremist groups pose threats to the safety, security and advancement of women and girls as indicated by on-going abductions of girls shrinking space and; resources for civil society; and macroeconomic policies that perpetuate inequalities,” as noted in the NGO Forum Declaration (available online on www.femnet.co).

The rights, priorities and needs of African women and girls must intentionally be highlighted in the ongoing regional and global discussions such as the 59th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 59) scheduled for in March 2015, where governments will be reviewing and appraising implementation of the BDPfA. In addition, CSOs are keen to strengthen gender equality and the empowerment of women in the Post-2015 development agenda through the integration of

a rights-based and gender perspective.

BPfA is a landmark visionary roadmap for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment as set out by governments during the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 1995. To date, no country in the

world has achieved gender equality. According to UN Women, “though much has been achieved, progress has been unacceptably slow, particularly for the most marginalized women and girls”.

Over 150 African women and girls from 34 countries attended the conference.

GOvERNmENTs musT RE-DEDICATE TO WOMEN’S & GIRLS’ RIGHTS

COMMITMENTS

According to uN Women, “though much has been achieved, progress has been unacceptably slow, particularly for the most marginalized women and girls”.

Forum for Women in Democracy represented by her Executive Director Patricia Munabi, was one of the women’s rights organizations that met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 14-16 November to call on African governments to re-dedicate themselves to upholding national, regional and international laws and policies that advance women’s rights and gender equality to adhere to universal human rights standards already agreed upon and protect them from social, moral and cultural arguments and positions.

To ensure this FOWODE with support from Diakonia and the Funding for Leadership Opportunities for Women (FLOW) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, gave the female farmers maize milling machines.

In order to improve on household food security especially in female headed households, 3 maize milling machines were handed over to the model female farmers in Amuru, Amuria and Napak districts in the presence of the District Production officers, Sub county Chiefs, Councilors and rights holders that gathered in Kuju, Amuru and Lopeei sub counties.

The grain milling machines were highly praised because of their high engine power and durability, and the ability to process a variety

of crops including; sorghum, cow peas, millet, cassava and maize which will enable farmers add value to their agricultural produce and get other products like maize and cassava flour for posho, millet bread, soya porridge, among other products. The machines will contribute to the improved standard of the agricultural produce for the women who will now be able to also sell their processed products in the market at favorable prices for increased household incomes. This will in turn lead to women’s active participation in economic development. The dry season has been a difficult one for women who go hungry not because they don’t have the millet or sorghum, but because they could barely meet the milling costs and the long distances to far off centers to process this into millet flour for food.

IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING FOR FEMALE FARMERS IN AMURU, AMURIA AND NAPAk

Forum for Women in Democracy has recognized that the food value chain is critical in enhancing food security. In the past the female farmers only participated at the lower levels of agricultural value chain as a result, were ripped off by middlemen and in the long dry spells they suffered hunger because their produce would was not stored properly.

A food secure community is an empowered community.

Additionally, they would instead make local brew that would keep men at the liquor centers all day neither providing basic needs at home nor supporting the women in gardening but only grabbing money from them to go for drinking. This would also increase the rate of domestic violence in their homes, subjecting women to torture, poverty and living miserable lives.

The women now say that with the processing machines near, they will not use the grains for making local brew but rather to make food and feed their families and also sell some to cater for other family basic

needs. “Here in Karamoja, we women are so despised! Nobody has ever thought of us like you have done, FOWODE, from all the knowledge you have given us, now you have crowned it up with a milling machine, now in Karamoja we can see God has started remembering us, we shall no longer have to walk as far as Matany for 12kms but mill from just next to our doors” Nangiro Mary Napak district“When I could not afford the 1,500 to mill my maize, I simply sold some of it and some would be eaten by the hens, yet my children were going hungry, but now I will make

flour and sell to get some income,” Said Aujo Goretti from Amuria.

“The machine we had in the centre could mill only maize, but this one, I have seen for myself it can process a variety of crops and is of high quality. I must say, we the leaders are grateful. “ NAADs coordinator, Amuria District. FOWODE and Diakonia have set the pace and indeed this is what we would like other partners to do. Not only to provide software but to supplement with some hard ware that will live on transforming the entire community.

FOWODE and Diakonia have set the pace done is indeed what we would like other partners to do. Not only to provide software but to supplement with some hard ware that will live on transforming the entire community.

This improves on the standard of the agricultural produce for the women who

will now be able to also sell their processed products in the market at favorable prices

for increased household incomes.

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5 1. Women in Napak after the mushroom training 2. Women in Napak praciticing one of the steps taken during Musroom

growing 3. Patricia Munabi during the Beijing +20 Meeting in Addis Ababa 4. Press conference to call upon members

of parliament to include Clause 8(5) and 55(4) to the Public Finance Bill 5. Hellen Okiring a FYLAA ( FOWODE Young

Leader’s Alumni) poses with Dr. Sarah Ntiro in a visit to her home in Hoima during the women’s week. 6. Penny Sanyu Of

Uhuru Instituite Blowing a whistle after the “The women with whistles parallel session at the 2nd Uganda Women’s Week”

7. Hon Victoria Sekitoleko and Patricia Munabi during “The Women with Whistles” Parrallel Session

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6

4

7

PREPARING WOMEN

LEADERSFOR 2016

As 2016 draws close, Forum for Women in Democracy has embarked on training women leaders. In the last week of October alone, 30 women political aspirants from the districts of, Kampala, Nakasongola, Apac, Bukwo, Buikwe, Kamuli, Kalungu, masaka, mityana, Butaleja, Wakiso, Kyenjojo, Kibuku and Luweero were equipped with skills and knowledge to run effective campaigns.

The two-day workshop, brought together women political aspirants from various political parties to acquire knowledge and skills in effective campaigning procedures to enable them successfully engage in the upcoming general elections in 2016. The women political aspirants some of whom were engaging in political leadership for the very first time are vying for different leadership positions ranging from members of Parliament to district and local council councilors. The comprehensive training covered various sub themes including; Transformational leadership in Uganda’s Context, Women and Political Parties,

Gender in Politics, Electoral Commission Roadmap to 2016, Feminist Leadership, Running a successful Campaign as well as Developing a winning manifesto.

The participants that were in positions of leadership, both direct and affirmative action seats, heard from experienced facilitators such as former Member of Parliament and Member of the Constituent Assembly, Hon. Tezira Jamwa who advised the women leaders not to fear contesting for leadership seats with men.

The capacity building was indeed a defining moment for the women’s future engagement in the campaigns. An aspirant from Kamuli district said,

‘I am going against a very strong candidate, in fact it is as if I am going to stand against the entire political party because of the position that person holds in this country, but am very sure that I will win in all this. This training has opened my eyes to the importance of studying an opponent and win the elections.-” a Member of Parliament aspirant - Kamuli district said.

The women were encouraged to face any obstacles that women face in the campaign race and utilize the knowledge on feminist leadership even after they have assumed office. This was emphasized by Patricia Munabi Babiiha, the Executive Director FOWODE who in her opening remarks urged the leaders to front women issues in all their legislative spaces. She asked the women to avoid being used to advance political party agendas instead of prioritizing the Women’s Agenda.

FOWODE is relentless in empowering women leaders, and under the Leadership Advisory Desk will continue to enhance women’s abilities to effectively participate in political and governance processes. FOWODE envisions that empowering aspiring women leaders will enable them take up key decision making positions for more gender responsive legislation, programming and development.

FOWODE is relentless in empowering women leaders, and under the Leadership Advisory Desk will continue to enhance women’s

abilities to effectively participate in political and governance processes.

The women with whistles parallel session at the 2nd Uganda Women’s Week was one to reckon as it attracted women and men of substance among them; political leaders, members of the civil society, local government officials, national and political party representatives, Women’s NGOs and young women leaders; women in the media and academia. This Session was organized by Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) and Women’s Democracy Network (WDN).

Themed ‘Women with whistles, galvanizing voices for Good Governance’, the session sought to enhance awareness of critical governance issues in the political and economic arenas and mobilize citizens to challenge status quo; current governance concerns in Uganda today and their impact on the nation, the effects of bad governance on the women of Uganda.

WOMEN WITH WHISTLES:

CHALLENGING STATUS QUO

Dr. Busingye Kabumba, the key note speaker said that the women’s demand for power has not been an easy struggle but one that has grown over the years indicating that Uganda as a state has excluded people in general in the governance arena. He added that the struggle had excluded women in the struggle for example no women in the legislative council. He urged the women to take on the mantle from the women that succeeded in this field.

Aisha Kabanda, the Kampala Resident City Commissioner (RCC), who was also a main speaker, asserted that the women’s problem is not President Museveni but rather Male Chauvinism saying that the men are always ready to dominate the governance spaces. She called upon women to galvanize their voices and unite in the struggle.

“If you think Museveni is your problem, then you are fighting the wrong person” Aisha said Ingrid Turinawe, the Chairperson FDC women’s League gave insight into the critical role of women in the political and economic change in Uganda. She said that regardless the fact that many women have earned the political position in Uganda, they have remained powerless.

In order to build this power, Ingrid urged participants to build their self-esteem as women to enable them lead the societies that they come from.

When the session ended, the women were challenged to take responsibility and as a result many participants expressed interest to take the Women with whistles campaign to their regions.

Forum for Women in Democracy held two mentoring and support supervision workshops in Tororo and Kiboga concurrently in the first week of October 2014. These workshops aimed at enabling women to have functional caucuses that will ably influence council decisions for gender sensitive laws.

37% of the budget has been channeled to maternal health. They also lobbied PACE, an NGO in the district to encourage women to report Gender Based Violence cases.

MuKONO DIstRIct

tAKING stOcK OF WOMEN cAucusEs At tHE DIstRIct

The majority of the women Councillors reported having been able to influence their respective councils. For example, in Wakiso, the council agreed that if any toilet stances are to be constructed in a school, half of them must be for girls.

The women of Wakiso have also mastered the art of lobbying, advocacy and networking which has enabled them reach out to several relevant resource persons like the CAO, District Statistician among others, who have learnt to consult with the women’s caucus before making critical council decisions.

In Mukono district, the women influenced the budget which resulted into 37% of the budget being channeled to maternal health. They also lobbied PACE, an NGO in the district to encourage women to report Gender Based Violence cases. This organization gave them a toll free line for reporting the cases to police and to the organization.

They also lobbied the District Health Officer to recruit more female staff in Nama Health Centre after discovering that many women did not want to go for antenatal care since there were more male staff who they were uncomfortable with.

Public health was a critical issue that came out strongly and it was agreed that there is need for more networking within neighboring districts so as to have a big hospital constructed in the area to save the health centers from over congestion and the effects that come as a result of that.

At the workshops, the women were introduced to the Women With Whistles Campaign. Women with Whistles movement is aiming at collective voice and action of women in rebuilding Uganda.

The declining management of public affairs and the seemingly loud silence of citizens are disturbing this group of women as Uganda slides into a failed state.

Advocating for Inclusion of clause 8 (5) and 55(4) in the Public

Finance Bill 2012Forum for Women in Democracy held a press conference on 13th November to call upon on Members of parliament to include clause 8 (5) and 55(4) in the Public Finance Bill 2012

On 5th November 2014, the debate on the Public Finance Bill, 2012 returned to the floor of Parliament and was deferred until 13th November 2014.

FOWODE acknowledges that Women shape the development agenda throughout the developing world yet still remain disadvantaged and excluded in budgeting, decision and policy formulation processes. They continue to be sidelined within the household because they have less access to and control over resources and limited influence over household decisions. According to UDHS 2011, only 16% of Ugandan Women own land. 39% of women aged between15-49 cannot read and write compared to 16% of men and in 2011 according to the report of the Coalition to stop maternal mortality in Uganda, 16 women died every day due to preventive death in child birth. Therefore efforts to reduce gender inequality in Uganda are required on multiple fronts.

The Public Finance Bill, 2012 was considered an important proposed legislation for effective, fair and equitable management of public finances for the benefit of citizens in Uganda. Civil society advanced a number of proposals, which were adopted by the Committees of Parliament charged with scrutinizing the bill.

FOWODE supported the Committees recommendation under Clause 8 of the Budget Framework Paper to insert a new clause 8(5) that provides for a “Certificate of Gender Equity (CGE) that should be issued by the Attorney General (AG) certifying Ministries, Departments and Agencies’ compliance to gender and equity issues.

However FOWODE recommends that Parliament should consider replacing “Attorney General” under Clause 8 (5) with Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC).

With the Certificate on Gender Equity in the Public Finance Bill 2012; Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are obliged to address gender and equity constraints in their plans and budgets if the CGE was used as an enforcement mechanism. The Certificate will help legislators use gender mainstreaming as a performance indicator when reviewing the performance of sectors and their adherence to the Budget Call Circular’s (BCC) call on gender and equity budgeting even before approving the National Budget. The CGE will also be used as a demand mechanism by Legislators to the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development to treat lack of compliance to the BCC’s directive as a disciplinary issue. This bill is expected to enhance public finance management and accountability in Uganda. It covers a wide range of aspects including debt management, budget preparation, approval and management, macroeconomic and fiscal policies as well as oil and gas management among others.

In the end it was a victory when our recommendation to have the Equal Opportunities Commission issue the Gender and Equity Certificate that will oblige MDAs to comply with gender budgeting principles as directed in the Budget call Circular. In addition, Parliament inserted a new Clause 55(4) for adoption, where “3% of the petroleum revenue should be ear marked for developing social services, and agriculture, culture. Developing social services will not only benefit women but also the other marginalized groups who are concentrated in these sectors.

According to UDHS 2011

16%

39%16%

of ugandan Women own land

of women aged between 15-49 cannot read and write compared to of men

P.O.BOX 7176. Kampala, Uganda PHONE NUMBER: +256-41-4286063. WEBSITE: www.fowode. org.

@FOWODE_uGANDA ForumForWomeninDemocracy FOWODE uGANDA