In Uganda, but Full Equality with Men Remains a Distant Reality
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For more information about the OECD Development Centre’s gender programme: [email protected] UGANDA www.genderindex.org SIGI COUNTRY REPORT Social Institutions & Gender Index UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY REPORT UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY Uganda SIGI Country Report The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this document are the sole property of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the OECD, its Development Centre or of their member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. © OECD 2015 UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY REPORT © OECD 2015 FOREWORD – 3 Foreword Uganda’s economic and political stability over the past two decades has brought unprecedented opportunities to address social inequalities and improve the well-being of citizens. Investments in key human development areas have reaped benefits in poverty reduction, and seen some improvements on a range of socio-economic indicators: but is everyone benefiting? Ugandan women and girls have partially benefited from these trends. New laws and measures to protect and promote women’s economic, political and human rights have been accompanied by impressive reductions in gender gaps in primary and secondary education and greater female political participation. Yet, wide gender gaps and inequalities remain, including in control of assets, employment and health. Economic development may have improved the status quo of women in Uganda, but full equality with men remains a distant reality. Tackling the discriminatory social norms that drive such gender inequalities and ensuring that women can equally benefit from Uganda’s development were twin objectives of this first in-depth country study of the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI). The SIGI is the first composite measure of gender equality that captures the root causes behind unequal outcomes for women. Uganda represents the first country where the index has been built and applied both nationally and at the sub-national level. This Uganda SIGI Country Report presents the results of a two-year partnership between the OECD Development Centre and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), supported by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). This country report brings together the key results and findings of the SIGI by region and by thematic sub-index, complementing the Uganda Bureau of Statistics’ own survey report. Data and analysis presented in this report aim first and foremost to provide policy makers with tools and evidence to design more effective gender-responsive policies and interventions. The Uganda-SIGI results show how discrimination against women interacts with a variety of factors, such as rural/urban differences or education levels, to shape women’s development pathways. Over two years, qualitative studies, household surveys, national consultations and focus groups were conducted to produce the first data on social institutions across the 112 districts of Uganda. The partnership between UBOS and the OECD Development Centre has helped to build new knowledge and capacity on measuring gender equality and social norms. This evidence base represents not just a “first” for Uganda but a “first” internationally, with important implications for advancing national as well as global understanding of the relationship between discriminatory social institutions, gender equality and development. UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY REPORT © OECD 2015 4 – FOREWORD As the development community looks forward to implementation of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this fruitful collaboration underscores the multiple reciprocal advantages of such international technical exchanges to capture, benchmark and analyse the root causes of inequality. The OECD Development Centre remains committed to invest in evidence on social norms and gender equality as a contribution to global debates and national policy making for more equal societies for all. Mario Pezzini Director, OECD Development Centre UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY REPORT © OECD 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – 5 Acknowledgements The Uganda Social Institutions and Gender Index was prepared by the OECD Development Centre’s Social Cohesion Unit: Alexandre Kolev, Gaëlle Ferrant, Francesco Granella and Keiko Nowacka. The OECD Development Centre would like to thank the Austrian Development Cooperation for its strong support of the Uganda Social Institutions and Gender Index and the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics for its collaboration: Ben Paul Mungyereza (Executive Director); Norah Madaya (Director, Statistical Co-ordination Services); Vincent Fred Ssennono (Principal Statistician, Methods and Analysis); James Muwonge (Director, Social Economic Surveys); Diana Byanjeru (Senior Officer, Gender); Angela Kiconco (Senior Statistician, Analysis); Stella Nassolo (Gender Statistician); Imelda Atai Musana (Deputy Executive Director, Statistical Production and Development); Johnson Kagugube (Director, District Statistics and Capacity Development); Grace Bulenzi Gulere (Principal Officer, Statistical Co-ordination); Ronald Ssombwe (Principal Statistician, Quality Assurance); James Bindya (Principal Statistician, Capacity Development); Rachel Nambooze (Senior Statistician, Community Information System); Monica Rutahanda (Statistician); Kenneth Bateesa (Surveys Assistant). The OECD Development Centre would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their co-operation and expertise: the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda; Rosemarie Nalwadda (independent consultant); Jane Ekapu (Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development); Jackson Atria (UN NGO Forum); Emmanuel Mugole (UN NGO Forum), as well as members of the technical advisory group: Consolata Kabonesa (School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University); Firmina Acuba (Ministry of Water and Environment); Sylvia Tereka (Consultant); Nancy Abwola (Raising Voices); Grace Bantebya (School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University); Lillian Mpabulungi (CARE Uganda); Annet Kabarungi (Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development); Ronald Kalyango (School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University); Josephine Nansubuga (United Nations Development Programme). The OECD Development Centre would also like to acknowledge the participants of the two national workshops. Particular thanks to Debbie Budlender and Somali Cerise (UN Women). UGANDA SIGI COUNTRY REPORT © OECD 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS – 7 Table of contents Acronyms and abbreviations ......................................................................................................... 11 Executive summary ........................................................................................................................ 13 Key findings .................................................................................................................................. 13 Key messages ................................................................................................................................ 15 Policy recommendations ............................................................................................................... 16 Note ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 19 An overview of the status of women in Uganda ........................................................................... 19 An overview of the global SIGI results for sub-Saharan Africa ................................................... 21 The Uganda-SIGI .......................................................................................................................... 23 Notes ............................................................................................................................................. 25 The construction of the Uganda-SIGI and its sub-indices .......................................................... 27 Step 1: Data collection .................................................................................................................. 27 Step 2: Construction of the sub-indices ........................................................................................ 28 Step 3: Computing the Uganda-SIGI ............................................................................................ 32 Uganda-SIGI classification ........................................................................................................... 33 Notes ............................................................................................................................................. 33 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................ 35 Uganda-SIGI ................................................................................................................................... 37 Regional performances ................................................................................................................. 38 Education and changing gender norms ......................................................................................... 39 Trends across the Uganda-SIGI sub-indices