CONTEXT

Uganda is a signatory to several international and regional frameworks to advance the rights of women and attain gender equality which is acknowledged globally as a prerequisite for a just and equal society. 

These instruments include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (The Maputo Protocol) both of which provide for women’s rights as human rights across the spectrum of social, political and economic spheres. 

The Government of Uganda for its part has provided an overarching legal and regulatory framework to advance gender equality through recognition of the rights, opportunities, barriers and impediments through socio-cultural hierarchical norms around age, status and ability with an impact on gender relations. 

These provisions provide for equality of women, men, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups. Despite all these attempts to promote gender equality, findings from Uganda Economic Update (2021) show that substantial gender disparities remain especially in the spheres of educational attainment, paid employment, and sustainable income generation that form the cornerstone of poverty reduction and inclusive growth. 

More succinctly, gender inequality in the labour market has grown in recent years, with the share of working-age women (age 14-64) declining from 82% in 2012 to 73% in 2019/20 representing an increase in the gender gap participation rate from five to seven percentage points.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Strengthening Capacity for Effective Women’s Economic Empowerment and Care Solutions in Uganda is an 18-month collaborative project implemented through a consortium comprising Oxfam in Uganda and the Advocates Coalition for Environment and Development (ACODE). 

The project is anchored in the wider spectrum of the Growth and Equal Opportunities for Women GROW East Africa Initiative which spurs gender transformation through advancing gender equality in the world of work with a focus on gender segregation, unpaid care and women’s collective agency.

The intermediate outcome of the project is to improve the design of the early childhood development policy and support the rollout of the National Gender Policy and the Family Policy. 

The Project will work towards incremental change in the Knowledge, attitudes and practices of project participants in WEE and Care policy solutions.

The project will also provide a point of linkage with the ongoing IDRC-supported GROW projects to harness synergies, amplify impact and drive concrete action. The project team will track progress and document changes progressively throughout project implementation.

PROJECT AIM

  • To increase the effectiveness of WEE and care work policy solutions and programmes by policymakers in Uganda by the financial year 2024/2025.

WORKSTREAMS

The project is designed to support policy processes and actions to enhance WEE and tackle Unpaid Care in Uganda through three workstreams.

  •  Workstream 1: Rapid technical assistance and expert analysis that responds to the demands and needs of policymakers and fosters the development of effective WEE policy solutions and interventions. 
  • Workstream 2: Tailored gender training and mentorship to strengthen the capacity of key policy actors to utilise relevant data and evidence on WEE and care work. 
  • Workstream 3: In-country coalitions of key WEE and care champions to foster concerted effort in identifying and promoting policy solutions to drive WEE.

OUTCOMES

• Immediate outcome 1: Increased evidence and information for policy decision-making on WEE and care.

 • Immediate outcome 2: Increased utilisation of Women’s Economic Empowerment and Care knowledge products in the policy-making process. 

• Immediate outcome 3: Increased and sustained policy engagement on WEE and care.

 IMPLEMENTING PARTNER

  • Advocates Coalition for Environment and Development (ACODE). 

FUNDED BY

  • International Development Research Center (IDRC)

PROJECT DURATION

  •  12 months

BUDGET

  • CAD 200,000

 

Tagged with
Gender justcie and women's rights