Remarks at the National Commemoration of International Women's Day

Salutations:

• Your Excellency, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda;
• Your Excellency, the Vice President;
• The Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament;
• The Right Honourable Prime Minister;
• The Honourable Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development;
• All Honourable Ministers and Senior Government Officials present;
• Honourable Members of Parliament;
• Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Head of UN Agencies;
• Representatives of District Local Governments;
• Representatives from Civil Society and the Private Sector;
• Ladies and Gentlemen;
• All Protocol observed. 

Greetings from the United Nations Family in Uganda.

I am delighted to address you today as we gather to mark this year’s International Women’s Day under the theme “Accelerate Action for Gender Equality” which calls for bold and strategic interventions towards a gender equal future.  The commemoration is happening at a time when the world is marking the 30th  anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark commitment adopted by 189 governments in 1995, setting the world on a path toward gender equality. 

Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Uganda is applauded for the policies and programmes you have implemented to support women's economic empowerment, such as the National Development Plan (NDP III), the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), and the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project. These initiatives are creating opportunities for women to transition from subsistence to market-oriented activities, enabling them to  participate in labour market, access sustainable livelihood options, including financial inclusion and enhance household and community resilience, as well as promote economic growth.

Despite these achievements, some challenges persist. Women and girls still face social structural barriers such as patriarchy, which hinder their potential growth and fulfillment Persistent Gender-Based Violence and the burden of unpaid care work continue to limit women’s full participation in the economy, translating to lost opportunities and significant costs to the country.

Your Excellency, with just five and a half years now remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, it is now as important as ever for us to collectively redouble our efforts. Advancing SDG5 Gender Equality is a critical factor which will also underpin the achievement of all other SDGs. As we reflect on this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Accelerating Action for Gender Equality, let us commit to working together to accelerate bold actions to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in Uganda.

Your Excellency, permit me to share an example of how our concerted efforts are making a difference in advancing gender equality while laying the groundwork for food security and resilience; and ensuring access to nutritious food. Through UN support to women’s leadership in sustainable agriculture, the Kaabong Women’s Farmers Association, improved agronomic practices and marketing and grew from 67 members in 2015 to over 1,800 women, producing crops like maize and beans. Between 2023 and 2024, they sold 1,900 metric tonnes worth USD 1.6 million to the UN-supported school feeding programmes in the Karamoja sub-region, boosting both local nutrition and their economic power.

I call upon all stakeholders – the Government, private sector, development partners, civil society, community leaders, the women of Uganda; to take stock of the gains, gaps and what needs to be done to promote Gender equality. I wish to highlight some of the actions that we need to take:

• Invest in women and girls by strengthening implementation of existing gender-responsive policies. This alone can catalyze changes in various ways, for instance, enabling more women and girls to access and benefit from economic opportunities, enabling girls to complete their education cycles and ensuring perpetrators of violence against women are held accountable.
• Expand access to finance for women by enhancing financial literacy, supporting women-led businesses, and ensuring equitable access to credit and investment opportunities, including value addition particularly in agriculture, innovation and the circular economy. 
• Support for digital inclusion for women, for enhanced competitiveness and effective participation
• Address the unpaid care burden by recognizing and redistributing care work to enhance women’s economic participation.

Before I conclude, I would like to share a message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on International Women’s Day:

“ When the doors of equal opportunity are open for women and girls, everyone wins.

Equal societies are more prosperous and peaceful – and the foundation of sustainable development. 

On this International Women’s Day, we recognize thirty years of progress and achievement since the landmark United Nations conference in Beijing.

When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. 

Together, let’s stand firm in making rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.”(End of quote)

Your Excellency, the UN family remains committed to working alongside Government and all partners to accelerate action towards Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Together, we can create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Thank you.