Uganda: Women's Demands to Political Parties and Organisations

DRAFT:
WOMEN'S DEMANDS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
http://www.wougnet.org/Documents/COPAW/womendemands.html

PREAMBLE

The WOMEN of Uganda, as full citizens making up over half the Ugandan
population, claiming the birthright of every human being to freedom and
equality,

HAVING contributed significantly to the development of the nation
throughout its history,

CONSCIOUS of the fact that despite the significant contribution by women to
the nations development, they have been marginalized in the political and
economic governance of the country,

NOTING that the 1995 Constitution of Uganda realises and recognizes this
imbalance and thus explicitly calls for gender equity and equality in
several of its provisions,

RECOGNIZING that our country is at a critical point in its political history,

FURTHER recognizing that it is our right and duty to take part in shaping
our country's destiny,

DO hereby demand from all political parties and organizations:

1. Real and Meaningful Democracy:

Democracy is a system through which all citizens have a right to
participate in their governance not just at state level but right down to
the smallest nucleus of the state, which is the family. In a democracy,
the participation of women at all levels of decision making in all spheres
of society is crucial for its development and the realisation of women's
rights. There can be no true and substantive democracy without the equal
participation of women.

To this end we ask that all political parties and organisations:

(i) Include in their constitutions the principle of equality
between men and women and ensure its effective application.

(ii) Ensure that all their structures and procedures do not
directly or indirectly discriminate against the participation of women and
other marginalized groups.

(iii) Take measures and put in place mechanisms to ensure that
women can participate in the leadership of the parties and organisations on
an equal basis with men.

(iv) Ensure transparency and accountability as well as
information flow to all levels of the party and organization structure
including proper checks and balances stipulating clearly the tenure of
members of the governing bodies with provisions for democratic processes
for change in tenureship as well as showing clearly how power is shared.

(v) Respect and uphold the principle of separation of powers
as well as respect for institutions and building institutions that promote
governance, democracy and development.

2. Integration of the Principle of Affirmative Action:

Affirmative Action is about making progress towards substantive equality of
historically marginalized groups and not merely about numbers. Affirmative
Action is a political and social action of a transition period along the
way from relations established by centuries of oppression and inequality to
a future of truly equitable relations.

Although Affirmative Action has yielded some benefits it has not
facilitated effective and strategic partnership for women. Affirmative
Action should not be used for tokenism and patronage but as a prerequisite
to the promotion of good governance and economic development. Women's
participation in influencing the country's direction in terms of political
thinking policies and programs should be a matter of course.

To this end we demand that all political parties and organisations:

(i) Include in their constitutions the principle of
Affirmative Action.

(ii) Apply Affirmative Action internally by ensuring that
women form at least one third in all the political party and organisations
governing structures.

(iii) Ensure effective application of Affirmative Action through
monitoring mechanisms that show clear performance indicators in its
implementation.

(iv) Work towards removing the factors that continue to
discriminate and disadvantage women and other marginalized groups.

3. People-centred/People-focused Development.

Women contribute to the economy and to combating poverty through both
remunerated and unremunerated work at home, in the community and in the
work place. The empowerment of women is a critical factor in the
eradication of poverty.

While poverty affects households as a whole because of the gender division
of labour and responsibilities for household welfare, women bear a
disproportionate burden, attempting to manage household consumption and
production under conditions of increasing scarcity. Women's poverty is
directly related to the absence of economic opportunities, lack of
autonomy, lack of access to economic resources, including credit, land
ownership and inheritance, lack of access to education and support services
and their minimal participation in the decision making process.

In order to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, women
and men must participate fully and equally in the formation of
macro-economic and social policies and strategies for the eradication of
poverty. The eradication of poverty requires democratic participation and
chances in economic structures in order to ensure access for all women to
resources, opportunities and public services.

To this end we demand that political parties and organizations:

(i) Ensure that women participate fully at all levels in the
conceptualisation, decision-making, implementation and evaluation of
development policies and programmes.

(ii) Employ a rights based approach to poverty reduction and
development, the main features of which include: Identification of the poor
recognition of the relevant normative national and international human
rights framework, equality and non-discrimination, participation and
empowerment, monitoring and accountability.

(iii) Promote and ensure development whose interest is and whose
benefit is for women and men. This means prioritising issues such as
health and education.

(iv) Develop macro-economic policies that take into account the
impact of such policies on Ugandan women and men at all levels of society
as well as the environment.

4. Commitment to obligations under international human rights instruments

Human Rights and fundamental freedoms are a birth right of all men and
women. We re-affirm that all human rights - civil, cultural, economic,
political and social, including the right to development - are universal,
indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. The human rights of women
are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.

To this end, we demand that political parties and organizations not only
refrain from violating the human rights of women but also work actively to
promote and protect these rights.

5. Peace and Security:

Uganda has experienced armed conflict to varying degrees since the
attainment of independence in 1962. These resulted from political and
military crises, as well as intolerance and bad governance. The transition
from one government to another has never been smooth for Uganda. Since
1962, the country has had nine regimes and the fall of each regime has been
preceded by armed conflict.

All the four regions of Uganda have been prone to violence. Although the
violence resulting from these conflicts has adversely affected the men,
women and children of Uganda, the women and children have borne the worst
brunt. The economy and the environment have not been spared either. The
wars have led to brain drain, which has been detrimental to the development
of our country.

Today, most of Northern and North Eastern Uganda, as well as parts of
Western Uganda are experiencing armed conflict, resulting internally
displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, most of whom are women and children.
The rest of the country is not safe either.

There cannot be development without peace, security and good governance.
Sustainable peace depends largely on justice, the promotion and protection
of human rights and tolerance.

We therefore demand that all political parties and organizations:

(i) Recognize the right of every Ugandan to be different, as
well as uphold and protect the right of freedom of association, assembly
and expression.

(ii) Promote non violent forms of conflict resolution as well
as integrate a gender perspective in the resolution of armed or other
conflicts.

(iii) Desist from inciting ethnic, religious, political, sexist
and all other forms of tensions and intolerance.

(iv) Promote peaceful co-existence within and across Uganda's
boarders.

(v) Commit to national reconstruction and rehabilitation as
well as take measures to reconcile the people of Uganda from all regions
and of all political persuasions.

(vi) Take action to promote equal participation of women and
equal opportunities for women to participate in all forums and peace
activities at all levels, particularly at decision-making level.