Tayebwa Highlights Uganda’s Progress in Women’s Leadership

What the report says

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa used a parliamentary forum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to point to Uganda’s recent gains in women’s leadership and decision-making. According to Nile Post, he led Uganda’s delegation to the World Women Parliamentarians Forum and said the government had taken deliberate steps to expand women’s participation in public life.

Tayebwa told delegates that women now hold 187 of Uganda’s 529 parliamentary seats, or about 35%, and make up 49% of Cabinet. He also cited gender and equality reviews in the budgeting process, supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission, as one way the state is trying to ensure that women and other disadvantaged groups are considered in national programmes and resource allocation.

The forum, held October 12–13, focused on moving “from representation to influence” in governance, meaning participants were discussing not just how many women are elected, but how much impact they have on policy and legislation. Uganda’s delegation included several women MPs, among them Auma Linda Agnes, Laura Kanushu, Betty Ethel Naluyima, Anna Ebaju Adeke and Mercy Kanyesigye.

The broader significance is that Uganda is presenting itself as making progress on gender inclusion while also acknowledging that deeper influence in decision-making remains the next challenge. In general, such forums are used by parliamentarians to compare approaches to women’s political participation and to identify reforms that can strengthen leadership opportunities.