Women Demand Tax Reforms as FOWODE Warns of Disproportionate Burden

What the report says

Women’s rights advocates in Uganda are calling for a review of tax policy and the 2027/28 national budget, arguing that taxes on basic goods, market levies and business-related costs fall unevenly on women and can slow the growth of women-owned enterprises. The discussion is centered on the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), which says gender considerations should be built into taxation and spending decisions.

According to Nile Post, FOWODE’s report, “From Neutrality to Equity: A Gender Analysis of Uganda’s Tax Regime,” examines how tax collection and tax education affect women, especially small traders and market vendors. The organization says higher prices for essentials such as cooking oil and sugar, along with fuel-driven transport and production costs, can add pressure on households where women are often responsible for daily provisioning.

Mary Kamuli Kuteesa, the Minister of State for Gender and Cultural Affairs, said women’s economic contribution is not fully reflected in official statistics and urged policymakers to include gender concerns in future finance bills. She also called on civil society and the media to keep highlighting the issue. Kuteesa linked fair taxation to wider public accountability, saying corruption and misuse of public funds can hurt services such as maternal healthcare.

FOWODE said it is engaging stakeholders through district budget conferences as preparations continue for the next budget cycle. The broader significance is that Uganda’s budgeting debate is increasingly being framed around whether tax and spending policies treat women as equal economic actors and household decision-makers.