A WOMAN’S MOUTH CAN NOW OPEN IN BUKONZO WEST CONSTITUENCY

The KALI Admin. Ms. Fatuma Mulima inducting the interns at KALI through gender policy (June 2012)

 

Walking into KALI’s Office one gets the impression that women are at the center stage of emancipation and development. KALI came into the arena of gender budget mainstreaming back in 2001 when a group of concerned citizens in Kasese district were supported by Hivos highlighted the plight of women to be a great challenge in the public sphere. While at one point the challenge was getting women into the public sphere be it education and health. For decades, Kasese district posted the first ever women doctors (Dr. Florence Kabugho –RIP) in the 1970s and it took two decades to get another women doctor. The only rewards parents gave to young girls was to marry them off and start a family. To highlight the plight of the female gender was like kicking off a dying horse! Kasese posted a leadership vacuum until the late 1980 when the first ever female NRC member was heard of guess who? Hon. Loice Biira Bwambale. That open the minds of many parents to rethink their strategy of marrying off their girl children at an early age but what remained was for women to become assertive and change the status quo.

Women’s voice unheard of:

Through edges a woman’s mouth could not open in public unless by chance when with children and putting the only allowed food in her mouth.  If I can remember well my primary one science, keeping your mouth shut for long a time, unhealthy conditions could be registered.    Woooooooweeeeeee………You can imagine the unhealthy condition women have been living!!! What about the social side of it? Women’s concerns could not be addressed! of course from who? And by who? Believe me you this could have been the reason for women’s invisibility in the development arena.  

Hands up for the different initiatives that have come up with different strategies for strengthening women’s voices and enhance their capacities to integrate women in development and especially KALI-KWATANIZA partnership that has made the ‘voices’ of women councilors/leaders in Bukonzo west be heard to demand for accountability from duty bearers.   

KALI’s achievements in training women councilors/ leaders in Kasese district

KALI with support from Kwataniza trained 20 committed women councilors and leaders in effective leadership skills and councilor procedures that has taken one year. The voices of women were captures as indicated below:

o   According to the participants, mobilization skills have been acquired. This was evidenced by the various meetings organized at village levels and the argument is backed by the findings during the field visits conducted by KALI.

·         Women’s deliberation (participation) in terms of moving and discussing motions during council sessions has improved. Council minutes of some council sessions at sub county levels prove it all. Since the implementation of this project, 10 motions has been moved by women councilors; however only 6 were approved by council members in the sub counties of operation.   

·         The code of conduct of women councilors has greatly improved. Terms like “I am honorable………….” When introducing themselves has changed as provided for by the councilors rules and code of conduct.

·         Lobbying skills have improved among women councilors/leaders. Some documents at sub county levels during the field visit and also confessions from some participants during the wrap up meeting talks it all.  Lobby cases include among others; women’s day celebration by honorable Jetress of Nyakiyumbu sub county, funds for boasting  women’s projects by Honorable Rose of Isango sub county.

By MASIKA SEDRESS KALENGYO
Program Assistant Gender-KALI