Women's Demands to Political Parties and Organisations

Background

The Coalition for Political Accountability to Women (COPAW) is a non-partisan alliance of rights based organisations and individuals committed to political accountability to women and to socio-political transformation in realising good governance in Uganda.

COPAW in collaboration with Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) organised a series of meetings last year (2003) to chart out clear and distinct issues to put to political parties and organisations as Uganda transits to pluralism. Some of the issues that prominently featured were (i) Real and Meaningful Democracy; (ii) Integration of the Principle of Affirmative Action; (iii) People-Centred / People-Focused Development; (iv) Commitment to Obligations under International Human Rights Instruments; and (v) Peace and Security.

The above issues were compiled in a brief memorandum that is now being shared widely for input. The draft memorandum follows below and we welcome any comments to make it more representative of the concerns of Ugandan women. Please send comments to COPAW / UWONET, attention Vat Kamatsiko at uwonet@starcom.co.ug.

Vat Kamatsiko
Focal Person, COPAW

DRAFT:
WOMEN’S DEMANDS TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

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:

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:
1. Include in their constitutions the principle of equality between men and women and ensure its effective application.
2. Ensure that all their structures and procedures do not directly or indirectly discriminate against the participation of women and other marginalized groups.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Respect and uphold the principle of separation of powers as well as respect for institutions and building institutions that promote governance, democracy and development.
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:
1. Include in their constitutions the principle of Affirmative Action.
2. Apply Affirmative Action internally by ensuring that women form at least one third in all the political party and organisations governing structures.
3. Ensure effective application of Affirmative Action through monitoring mechanisms that show clear performance indicators in its implementation.
4. Work towards removing the factors that continue to discriminate and disadvantage women and other marginalized groups.
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:
1. Ensure that women participate fully at all levels in the conceptualisation, decision-making, implementation and evaluation of development policies and programmes.
2. 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.
3. Promote and ensure development whose interest is and whose benefit is for women and men. This means prioritising issues such as health and education.
4. 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.
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.
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:
1. Recognize the right of every Ugandan to be different, as well as uphold and protect the right of freedom of association, assembly and expression.
2. Promote non violent forms of conflict resolution as well as integrate a gender perspective in the resolution of armed or other conflicts.
3. Desist from inciting ethnic, religious, political, sexist and all other forms of tensions and intolerance.
4. Promote peaceful co-existence within and across Uganda’s boarders.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Additional Information

For additional information, contact Vat Kamatsiko at uwonet@starcom.co.ug.

Last update: February-17, 2004