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REALITY CHECK. P Presentation by: Solome Nakaweesi - Kimbugwe
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REALITY CHECK • P • Presentation by: • Solome • Nakaweesi-Kimbugwe • Chair Person, FOWODE
Presentation Outline • Introduction • Policy and Legal Environment for Women in Decision Making • Objectives of the study • Methodology, Limitations of the Study • Findings of Study • Conclusion
Introduction and Background FOWODE promotes gender equality in decision making as part of this work we have continued to promote knowledge building in women and governance. • In May 2000 FOWODE conducted a study titled: “From Strength to Strength: Uganda Women in Public Office”. • It provided data on the level and trends of Women’s participation in the public sector. It went beyond the numbers and looked at the portfolios women in senior positions held. The findings exposed inequality in public decision making.
Introduction and Background • This year (2014), 14 down the road, FOWODE has conducted a similar study. • Its premised on the belief that Women's equal participation in decision-making is not only seen as a demand for simple justice or democracy but a necessary condition for women's interests to be taken into account and for sustainable development to be acheived.
Introduction Cont’d • According to the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW, 2005) both practitioners and scholars agree that it is of utmost importance to have equal numbers of women and men in political office
Why this study? • The study was intended to establish the existing numbers in decision making at different levels in selected public institutions.
Methodology of the Study The Study Employed: • Desk Review • Selective assessment of MDA’s 31 selected MDA i.e Government Ministries, Commissions, Agencies/Authorities and Academic Institutions Sources of Information • Institutions/organizational Staff Lists. • Ministerial Policy Statements, ministerial reports, organizations websites and staff lists • Interviews with key resource persons in selected institutions
Limitations of the Study • Report only shows numbers of women in selected public institutions. • Report doesn’t address the question of women’s effective participation in leadership. • Statistics don’t explain whether the numbers of women have been or are able to articulate and address women’s interests in the institutions where they are.
Composition of Women Permanent Secretaries as at October 2013
Mapping the Journey to a Permanent Secretary According to a key male respondent: For an officer to reach the level of a PS, one must have served in specific offices and accumulated a certain level of experience. ….You must have spent at least 10 years as a Director. There is no skipping of any position right from the officer entry level. In the past, women were not in these leadership positions, they have just started coming up. Gender mainstreaming has just come, so having them in large numbers now is to ask too much. One needs to spend 3 years as an Officer, 3 years to Senior Level, 3 years to Principal Level, 3 years to the Assistant Commissioner, 3 years to the Commissioner, 3 years to the Director level and so on.
The “M Scale”: Women’s Progress in Managerial Levels • Females enter in high numbers just like their male counterparts but when reproductive functions set in, most of them will pay much attention to getting married, bearing and caring after children .
Number of women decrease as they progress in managerial positions mainly due to gender roles
Women in Political and Administrative Positions at District Level
Mulago Referral Hospital • In Mulago 63% are female compared to 37% male employees as thus: • With 70% senior consultants male and 30 % senior consultants being female . • Female nurses are more than male nurses at 93% compared to 7% males. This is partly due to the gender biases regarding nursing. • More women occupy the lower level employment positions ( whose intake is large) as compared to the senior positions (whose intake is lower) i.e there are more available positions for nurses compared to the senior consultant positions.
GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS, AGENCIES AND SEMI-AUTONOMOUS INSTITUTIONS
Final Remarks • Sectors haven’t focused and institutionalised promoting gender equality as a key principle. • Affirmative action has become a mere catchword and a bate minimum. • Where MDAs high numbers of female staff exist its not because of a consistent and deliberate attempt to promote women in leadership but rather individual women rising to those positions or in sectors that rely so much on the care economy ( like health and education).
Final Remarks • With these threatening numbers of Women in critical leadership positions, its time for women to rise up, dance to the music and capture leadership and governance positions in this country for they can! Yes we Can!!! We are the right people and it is the right moment.
