Ugandan Women Still Face Barriers to Equality in Education, Employment, and Politics

10 September 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Alfred Kwadzo Torsu

Most citizens say the police and courts should do more to protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.

Key findings

  • In Uganda, women are less likely than men to have progressed to secondary school (39% vs. 49%). o Most Ugandans (83%) say it is rare or unheard of for families to prioritise boys' education over girls', but 16% say this happens frequently. o More than one-third (35%) of citizens say schoolgirls "often" or "always" face discrimination, harassment, and requests for sexual favours from their teachers.
  • Among working-age adults, men are more likely than women to be employed (50% vs. 39%). o A lack of child care and women's lack of necessary education or skills are the most frequent barriers for women's entry and advancement in the workplace, according to respondents. o More than one-third (36%) of citizens report that husbands or other family members "often" or "always" prevent women from taking paid employment.
  • More than three-fourths (78%) of Ugandans say women should have the same chance as men of being elected to public office. o This represents an increase of 12 percentage points in support for gender fairness in politics compared to 2012, but a decline of 6 points since the 2022 survey. o Men are 12 percentage points less likely than women to endorse equal opportunity in politics (72% vs. 84%).
  • Three in 10 Ugandans (30%) say women "often" or "always" experience sexual harassment in public spaces such as in markets, on the street, and in public transport. o More than three-fourths (78%) of Ugandans say women and girls are likely to be believed if they complain of discrimination or harassment. o But an equally strong majority (78%) say the police and courts should do more to protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.

Women's empowerment is a question of both individual human rights and social progress. As the United Nations Development Programme (2014) asserts, "Unless women and girls are able to fully realise their rights in all spheres of life, human development will not be advanced."

Despite Uganda's progress toward gender equality in many areas (United Nations Development Programme, 2022), persistent gaps in economic participation, educational attainment, and political empowerment are evident in the World Economic Forum's (2024) Global Gender Gap Index, which ranks Uganda 83rd out of 146 countries.

The government has signed on to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, whose Goal 5 champions women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making. The country has tried a wide variety of policies and programmes aimed at empowering girls and women, from preferential university admissions to gender set-asides in Parliament and local councils. The 2006 National Equal Opportunities Policy seeks to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all Ugandans, and the 2007 Uganda Gender Policy aims to incorporate a gender perspective into the planning and implementation of development programmes (Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, 2006, 2007). The government takes aim at gender disparities in education with a National Strategy for Girls' Education that emphasises public and private partnerships to promote girls' education (Ministry of Education and Sports, 2013).

In 2023, Parliament passed the Employment Amendment Act, which provides workplace protections for women - including pregnant and breastfeeding women - and requires all employers to prominently display policies against sexual harassment. It also extends vital legal protections for domestic workers, many of whom are women (Kampala Associated Advocates, 2023).

Afrobarometer offers a citizens' perspective on the effectiveness of strategies to empower women. Survey findings in Uganda suggest that women continue to face discrimination, harassment, and barriers in various facets of life, both public and private.

Ugandan women are less likely than men to have higher education and paying jobs. Few respondents say that families still prioritise boys' education over girls', but significant minorities report that husbands and relatives prevent women from taking employment and that sexual harassment of women and girls in public spaces, including schools, is common. And while a majority of citizens support women's equal chance at being elected to public office, the share who espouse this view has declined since Afrobarometer's previous survey in 2022.

Most Ugandans say women and girls are likely to be believed if they complain of discrimination or harassment, but most also think the police and courts need to do more to protect women and girls from such treatment.

Alfred Kwadzo Torsu Alfred Kwadzo Torsu is the Data Analytics Lead at Afrobarometer, where he focuses on using data to guide and shape effective policies.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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