Uganda’s Female MPs Tagged ‘Traitors’ Sam Waswa Kadaga Chairing the Gender Partnership Group in Geneva Female Members of Uganda’s 9th Parliament have been reprimanded by fellow women, for the challenges that still face the Ugandan woman despite their increased space in leadership positions. At a recent conference held in Kampala by Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), women described their representatives in the 9th parliament as “betrayers and a big disappointment.” Kampala Resident City Commissioner Mrs Aisha Kabanda expressed displeasure that despite the big numbers, female MPs had not supported a singular Bill critical for the welfare of women. The 9th Parliament of 380, has 133 female members (about 34 percent) making it the world’s 17th in terms of female representation. Despite this, more gender critical Bills were passed during the previous 8th parliament, which had fewer women. “I was disappointed by our good women MPs who we saw advocating for the Domestic Relations Bill to be dropped, giving excuses and trembling before religious leaders,” noted RCC Kabanda. Kabanda observed the current female MPs had failed to emulate the country’s pioneer MPs like Miria Matembe, Namirembe Bitamazire and Winnie Byanyima, whose contributions were immense even when they faced bigger challenges compared to today’s. “With such growing numbers in Parliament, this should be the time when we put our (political) differences aside especially when an issue concerning the welfare women comes such as the Paraffin Tax,” she added. Speaking at the event, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s chairperson women’s league Mrs Ingrid Turinawe placed the blame on petty politics. “It’s true the NRM government gave us representation, which we have refused to use. What’s the essence of having 100 women in parliament, who are there to clap and dance for only one man so that he reigns for as long as he wants?” She observed that various government programs such as the Affirmative Action had not been optimally harnessed to benefit women in the country. “For instance our Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who has been in that House for decades on affirmative action (District Woman Mp Kamuli). Why can’t she relinquish that seat to another woman and contest against men for other positions, having gained all that political clout overtime?”
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 05:16:44 +0000
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