Uganda has been building a more inclusive society for women in business over the years largely from the many efforts of Civil Society Organisations and activists in the country. Women now contribute significantly to the economic growth of the country and old traditional stereotypes of women only acting as “housewives” have been eradicated over the years. In 1997 the Government approved the first National Gender Policy (NGP) aimed at addressing gender inequalities at all levels of government and by all stakeholders.
In 2022, Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were integrated into the National Development Plan. The 2nd National Development Plan (NDP II, 2015-2020) makes specific reference to sector-specific gender in a bid to realise inclusive growth by prioritising gender equality and women’s empowerment. This shows that the government recognises the critical role women play in its socio-economic transformation.
Women’s economic empowerment includes access to and control over productive resources, assets and services; political and social agency; meaningful participation in decision-making spaces and processes and access to decent work. To this end, there are a number of laws and policies in Uganda that make a concerted effort to enhance women’s positions in the economy; and many of these have yielded notable results.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index 2023, which evaluates gender disparities across four key dimensions—economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment—Uganda achieves a score of 68.4 percent. This places the country above the sub-Saharan average of 67.2 percent, reflecting its relative progress in addressing gender gaps.
As one of the key gender empowerment indicators and pillars, education has been one of the main sectors to benefit from gender inclusive policies. Thorough various Girl Child Education initiatives, the introduction of both Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education; and the affirmative action awarding female students an extra one and a half (1.5) points for public university entrance, the education sector in Uganda has made significant strides in promoting equal opportunities. These policies and initiatives have led to an expansion of access to equitable education at all levels and have seen enrolment rates rise with near equal enrolments for both boys and girls.
Global experience shows that increasing women’s rates of labour force participation as well as earnings, access to productive assets, and the ability to make independent decisions brings immediate benefits for women and also contributes to more sustained economic growth.
Uganda’s 18th Economic Update by the World Bank provides insights about the benefits of putting women at the centre of Uganda’s Economic Revival. The Report demonstrates women’s economic empowerment as key to quickening and strengthening Uganda’s transformation agenda.
According to the World Bank, Uganda’s achievements in women’s entrepreneurship are impressive. At 40 percent, the share of women among all formal and informal business owners in Uganda is the highest globally, surpassing both developed and developing regions. Uganda is recognized among the top eight performers worldwide for the percentage of its female population, aged 18-64, who are nascent entrepreneurs or owners/managers of new businesses compared to their male counterparts.
The country stands out due to its exceptional rate of entrepreneurship, particularly among women, and its high scores in nearly all indicators of entrepreneurial behaviour and attitudes leading to business start-ups, despite being a low-income, factor-driven economy with sub-par entrepreneurial conditions.
During this year’s Women’s Day celebrations, Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to gender-inclusive policies with the theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” This aligns with the priority theme of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), which focuses on accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment by addressing poverty and strengthening gender-focused institutions and financing.
President Yoweri Museveni highlighted the need for increased efforts to achieve wealth distribution for all, which he believes will address challenges faced by women, such as the practice of bride price. UN Resident Coordinator Susan Namondo praised Uganda’s legal framework for women’s empowerment, citing recent legislative advancements like the Public Procurement Act and amendments to social security and employment laws as significant steps forward.
Betty Amongi, the minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said that the government strategy and approach on women has always been that of tackling the root causes of women’s disempowerment, focusing on gender-transformative strategies and approaches.
“Some of our interventions seek to influence formal institutions, laws, policies and practices and to support and promote women’s rights to economic, social and political empowerment as well as the strengthening of institutional capacity and accountability,” she said.
Amongi mentioned that women’s empowerment requires a comprehensive package of interventions that are context specific, combining enabling policies and specific and carefully targeted programs working at all levels.
According to the Uganda Jobs Strategy for Inclusive Growth, micro, small, and medium enterprises created within the past five years now generate over 50% of formal jobs, and household enterprises provide employment for 3.1 million households. The 2020 Mastercard Global Index of Women Entrepreneurs estimated that women own nearly 40% of all businesses. However, women entrepreneurs earn 30 % lower profits than men and women business owners in Uganda face gender specific barriers, including lower access to capital, and segregation into lower-value sectors.
Women make up more than half of the population, 46% of whom constitute Uganda’s labour force but for whom the median monthly wage is UShs130,000 less than that of men. Women are primarily engaged in the informal sectors where their earnings, job quality, and security lag that of their male counterparts. For instance, although 70% of Ugandan women are employed in the agricultural industry, they own less than 20% of the sector’s output. Low earnings render women’s livelihoods and households highly vulnerable and economically constrained especially during emergencies.
The Government of Uganda has implemented five key programs to enhance women’s empowerment: the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program (UWEP), the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE), investment in infrastructure benefiting rural women, and the Presidential Initiative of Skilling the Girl Child. Additionally, various stakeholders—including the government, UN agencies, and civil society organisations—are collaborating on diverse initiatives in areas such as entrepreneurship development, ICT, career and personal development for youth, gender-responsive governance, mentorship, leadership, equality in decision-making, and the provision of empowerment funds.