Human Rights Defenders Urge Government to Convert Women's Rights into Economic Gains

Human rights defenders and development partners have challenged the Ugandan government to move beyond basic legal protections and actively translate existing policy gains into equitable economic outcomes for women. Stakeholders gathered in Kampala for the 9th Annual Women Rights Defenders’ Conference, operating under the theme “From Survival to Wealth Generation: Advancing Economic Justice for Women.”

While Uganda boasts progressive frameworks like Article 33 of the Constitution and international commitments such as the Maputo Protocol, experts note that structural inequalities remain pervasive. Margaret Sekaggya, Executive Director of the Human Rights Centre-Uganda (HRCU), pointed out that women’s labor force participation sits at approximately 39 percent compared to 58 percent for men. Furthermore, over 80 percent of women work in the informal sector, and females earn roughly 32 percent less than men each month.

Speakers highlighted that corruption acts as a major roadblock, heavily restricting women’s equitable access to public services, credit, justice, and government procurement opportunities. Bribery and favoritism disproportionately affect female entrepreneurs and marginalized groups. Dr. Katja Kerschbaumer, the Head of the Austrian Embassy and Development Cooperation in Uganda, emphasized the unseen dangers of economic violence, noting that controlling or restricting a person’s financial resources strips away dignity and independence without leaving physical bruises.

Discussions also touched on systemic education dropouts and how empowering women financially directly benefits entire families through improved nutrition, healthcare, and education investments. While noting some progress in institutional enrollment and business registrations over the years, leaders underscored that concerted private and public sector intervention is necessary to help women transition from mere survival to sustainable wealth generation.

Read more details about the conference on the Daily Monitor.