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President Museveni Lauds Growth of Ugandan Women’s Status at Regional Catholic Conference

Credit: WUCWO

Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the women and girls in the East African nation for leveraging the government’s affirmative action to elevate their status in society.

In his Tuesday, July 29 message during the opening Holy Mass of the Africa Regional Conference of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, President Museveni recounted how economic deprivation and deeply rooted social and cultural traditions have long impeded the advancement and well-being of women.

“In our country, Uganda, before 1986, the full potential of women had never been realized, as they were denied access to opportunities in all spheres of life,” said President Museveni in a message delivered on his behalf by Vice President Jessica Alupo at the event that was held at the Uganda Martyrs Namugongo Shrine.

The Ugandan Head of State recalled that confront gender-based discrimination, Uganda introduced “affirmative action to enable the women to catch up with men by opening doors for their political and socio-economic involvement in the affairs of the community.”

“Today, women are fully represented at all levels of governance and decision making. I thank the women and the girls for taking advantage of affirmative action to raise their status in society,” he said, underscoring how Uganda’s deliberate efforts to eliminate these injustices have empowered women to fulfill their economic, intellectual, and social potential.

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He emphasized the importance of education and skilling of the girl child, stating that an educated mother significantly influences the well-being of her family and society.

“The introduction of free education policies have fundamentally transformed the status of women in our society,” said the Ugandan President, noting that “It is a mother's level of education and access to information” that enables her to make informed decisions.

President Museveni also praised the women for supporting the government’s wealth creation policy at the household level, which focuses on commercial agriculture, industrial investment, service delivery, and the use of ICT.

“The woman is part and parcel of the family and society,” he stated, noting, “When the families get out of poverty through commercial farming, manufacturing, services, and ICT, it is easier to address the remaining challenges women face.”

The Ugandan Head of State expressed appreciation to WUCWO for selecting Uganda as the host of the regional conference, which brings together Catholic women from various African countries, including Tanzania, Eswatini, Malawi, Nigeria, Guinea-Conakry, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Cameroon, and Uganda.

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“I thank the organizers of the Africa Region of the World Union Catholic Women's Organization Conference for inviting me to attend today's opening ceremony,” he said, expressing hope that the conference is going to help “highlight the contribution of women to the development of society and how their input can help to transform families, communities, and nations.”

The five-day conference, held under the theme "Women Custodians of Mother Earth" and guided by the motto “Nurturing Parenting: The Path to Happiness & Holiness,” ended on Friday, August 1.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.