Women want increased inclusion in leadership, work

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has called on organizations advancing women empowerment in Uganda, to change the scope of outreach to their intended beneficiaries so as to effectively serve them.

She noted that the voices of the persons they represent can be brought to light if such organizations reach out to such groups and listen to their issues, in a bid to better appreciate them.

“They should get out of the boardroom and go to the field, so that when they are advocating for issues, they speak from a point of knowledge,” said Kadaga.

The Speaker made the remarks following the award recognition of the 18-month old UN based African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), during a ceremony at the 2018 Women Leaders Global Forum (WLGF) held in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The African Women Leaders Network was recognized for its work in solving conflict and highlighting concerns of disadvantaged women across the African continent.

“The award is a big honor considering that the African Women Leaders Network is relatively new. It has been vocal in among other things sustaining the momentum to ensure the release of the Chibok girls who were abducted in Nigeria,” Kadaga noted.

The Speaker said that Uganda still faces a challenge of failure by some institutions and companies to respect the rights of women at the workplace, adding that concerted efforts could improve the attitude to work by corporate women.

"Some institutions limit maternity leave for women whereby if it is given, a woman has to choose between taking it and keeping her job. We need to change this standard in our institutions," said Kadaga.

She also called for a review of the four days paternity leave so as to give fathers more time from work to bond with their new born children.

President Marie Louise noted that the issue of maternity leave for corporate women had greatly influenced the gender pay gap in many countries across the globe, an issue which she noted could be addressed through empowering fathers at the corporate workplace to have more time to attend to their families.

President Louise also noted that it was important for nations to have proactive Governments that can create visions for a new technological horizon that can solve challenges related to business growth and promotion.

“Blockchain technology is a potential platform to boost entrepreneurial growth but it cannot solve the problems of women around the world if they are not educated on how to use it,” said President Marie Louise.

The discussions held on the auspices of the 2018 Annual Women Leaders Global Forum in Reykjavík, Iceland, brought together women leaders from all over the world including among others Presidents, Speakers of Parliament, Prime Ministers Members of Parliament and CEOs.

The Annual Women Leaders Global Forum is a platform for women leaders to discuss and share ideas and solutions on how to further advance society, increase equality between women and men and promote and positively develop the number of women in leadership positions.