Tayebwa Presents Uganda’s Progress in Advancing Women’s Representation

What the report says

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa used a regional forum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to outline Uganda’s record on women’s representation in leadership. Speaking at the World Women Parliamentarians Forum on Monday, he said Uganda has expanded women’s participation in governance since the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986, pointing to constitutional affirmative action and women’s growing presence in Parliament and Cabinet.

According to figures Tayebwa cited, women hold 35% of seats in Uganda’s Parliament, with 187 women among 529 members, and 49% of Cabinet positions. He also highlighted women occupying senior offices such as Vice President, Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers. He said gender and equality checks in the budget process, with support from the Equal Opportunities Commission, are meant to help ensure women and other disadvantaged groups are considered in public programmes.

Tayebwa nevertheless argued that representation alone is not enough and urged stronger efforts to increase women’s influence in lawmaking, budgeting and policy decisions. The forum, held on October 12–13 under the theme “From Representation to Influence in the Decision-Making Process,” brought together women parliamentarians from several countries to compare experiences on governance.

The report also noted that delegates from Kenya, Azerbaijan and Mongolia discussed similar themes, including constitutional gender targets, budget leadership and the legacy of the 1995 Beijing conference. These remarks placed Uganda’s presentation within a wider international conversation about moving from formal representation to real decision-making power.