Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) Janat Mukwaya has said Uganda is set to mark International Women’s Day in recognition for their role and contribution to the development process of their country.
Celebrations will be held under the global theme ‘Think Equal, Build Smart, and Innovate for Change’, peddled at creating a paradigm shift for transforming mind sets to the goal of gender equality as well as identifying new ways of advancing the women’s agenda at all levels.
In a statement released by minister, the day provides an opportunity to enhance advocacy for inclusion of women’s concerns in the development agenda at all levels by calling on United Nations Member States to design and implement interventions aimed at attaining gender equality and empowerment of women.
She said National Celebrations will take place in Rwimi Primary School Playground in Bunyangabu District under the theme ‘Empowering Women through Innovative Approaches to Social Protection; a Pre-requisite for Inclusive and Sustainable Development’.
“This theme recognizes the importance of providing social protection to women with the aim of minimizing their vulnerability, building their potential through innovative approaches so that they contribute to and benefit from the development process,” she said in a statement.
Mrs. Mukwaya said gender mainstreaming in social protection is critical in the programme design, implementation and evaluation because it lays a foundation for fair distribution of outcomes and impacts on all the categories of beneficiaries.
She vowed that the ministry will continue to address gender inequalities and equity in delivering social protection services, build capacity of duty bearers to effectively implement gender responsive and equitable social protection interventions, developing and institutionalize system for delivering gender responsive and equitable social protection interventions.
She said Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE), Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), Private Sector and Civil Society Led Initiatives have been place for empowerment and improving women’s welfare.