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Kampala, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG | A project to mentor women in Uganda’s Public Service so that they can play a bigger role in the government, was on Thursday launched in Kampala.
Funded by The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH (Foundation) to the tune of €200,000, the pilot project dubbed WiPS, aims to build a pool of women rights leaders in Uganda’s public service to effectively participate in public policy making spaces and influence gender responsive and sustainable policies.
It also aims to build women’s agency as well as connect those in the public sector with women in civil society, private sector and political spaces, and, improve their work place environment. It is a one year project.
“It is with great pride, humility and honor that I speak today – a day that brings to almost a year of co-creating a ground-breaking intervention and start of a new journey. An exciting journey, one of the first in Uganda – The Women in Public Sector (WiPS) Programme,” said Solome Nakaweesi, the Robert Bosch Stiftung Uganda Country Consultant, at the launch at Silver Springs Hotel in Kampala on Thursday.
“Today is a day where we have contributed a chapter in books of Uganda’s Her-story. A day where the invisibility of women in Uganda’s public sector is now visible and being prioritized,” she added.
The project will see a new focus by women’s rights groups on the role of women in the public service. This will be a move away from only focusing on grooming women in politics as has been in the past few decades.
The project was launched by Minister of State for Gender and Culture Peace Regis Mutuzo who was represented by Joel Ojuko Cox from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) of Uganda. Ojuko also launched the WiPS website www.wipsuganda.org that went live immediately.
The event was attended by Members of Parliament, Chairpersons of Statutory Commissions, Permanent Secretaries, Under-Secretaries and Secretaries to Commissions, District Local Governments officials, Directors, Commissioners and leaders from various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The Robert Bosch Foundation has allocated to the WiPS Pilot Programme a grant of Euros 200,000 (Sh808million ) for one year to be used by the four WiPS Consortium Partner Institutions. ( Click to read detailed Robert Bosch Stiftung RBSG profile on page 2)
“It is our hope that after the one year pilot, other partners will come on board to support such a noble yet strategically powerful intervention that strengthens and consolidates women’s effective participation in public policy making processes,” Nakaweesi said.
What is WiPs?
Women in Public Sector (WiPS) is a one-year Pilot Project implemented by a consortium of four Institutions, these are Femme Forte Uganda, Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), Forum for Women in Development (FOWODE) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in with support from RBSG.
The four Ugandan institutions will together with support of one of Europe’s largest foundations Robert Bosch Stiftung implement a 12-month project will target young women between 18-35 in the Public Sector.
The launch sees the birthing of a unique partnership that brings together one Public Sector entity – The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and four Women’s Rights Organisations – Femme Forte (FF), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) and Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET); 12 District Local Governments (Gulu, Pader, Agago, Mukono, Wakiso, Mpigi, Luwero, Kampala, Omoro, Nwoya and Amuru Districts) and; connecting 6 Key Sectors (Health, Education, Justice, Law and Order,
Social Development, Public Sector Management and Local Government Sectors).. (click to see pictorial page 2)
It’s also a unique intervention that bridges national and district levels as well and linking women leaders in the public sector across their various generations and age.
“The WiPS programme builds on the gains registered in the last five decades in promoting gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by the Government of Uganda, development partners and the women’s movement (women leaders in public service, civil society, private sector and political space).
VIDEO: Opening remarks by Solome Nakaweesi of @BoschStiftung at luanch of the #Women in Public Sector programme in Uganda @SonaKimb #WomenInPublicSector@femmeforteug @EOC_UG@uwonet @FOWODE_UGANDA pic.twitter.com/I9dx4TDThO
— Louis Jadwong (@Jadwong) December 5, 2019
