Africa-Press – Uganda. The speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has asked women in politics to start preparing for the 2026 general elections saying that the percentage of women in politics is very low compared to men.
Ms Kadaga made the remarks while officiating the National conference for women in politics under a theme; Deterred Not Barred: Still, We Rise! organised by Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) in Kampala yesterday.
Speaking to the media Ms Kadaga said that though in the just concluded general elections women acquired a big position in politics, there is still a lot to be worked on.
“Women should come and confront men in big positions, and the time is now. Do not wait for 2026 to start preparations, start now because politics is a long journey which needs arrangements, advises and determination,” she said.
Ms Kadaga added that women’s visibility in politics is not yet done in Uganda because violence against women in elections is a key deterrent to women‘s free participation in public life and greatly undermines their civil rights.
“Contribution of women in the political process is not only for prime importance in ensuring a balanced representation of the needs and concerns of democratic societies, but also increases the credibility of political infrastructure,” she said.
Ms Kadaga revealed that several proposals and policies have been trashed because they are fronted by women but this does not stop them from fighting for their space.
Mr Patricia Munabi the Executive Director of FOWODE said that the meeting was aimed at reflecting on the just concluded elections and share experiences and also strategise on how they can advance the women’s agenda in the various leadership positions they occupy.
“We have realised that the just concluded general elections were highly commercialized. There was a lot of vote-buying and we know women usually have little resources and this election was really bad for them,” she said.
Ms Munabi added that militarisation in the general elections also affected women because they preferred to stay home due to fear and intimidation.
