Barriers persist for women in Terego, Madi-Okollo

Madi-Okollo, Uganda | URN | Women in Terego and Madi-Okollo districts continue to face challenges in accessing justice, education, health services, and economic opportunities despite ongoing interventions from the government and development partners aimed at empowering girls and women. The concern was raised by district leaders, women activists, and partners during separate belated commemorations of International Women’s Day held in the two districts this week.

The leaders acknowledged that although partners are supporting government programmes intended to empower women, several barriers still limit women’s full participation in development. Emilly Afekuru, a resident of Terego District, says women still face challenges in accessing key services such as education and healthcare. However, she acknowledged the support from the government and partners in addressing these issues.“We are aware that the government likes us so much and has a lot of plans for women.

There are programs like PDM that help to transform the communities,” Afekuru said. Faith Achieng, the Senior Assistant Secretary (SAS) to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Madi-Okollo District, said women still face barriers in accessing education, which affects their participation in other sectors despite interventions from various stakeholders.

Women activists, district leaders, and partners also expressed concern over the rising cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. They noted that the two challenges contribute to school dropouts among girls, weakening the human resource base and limiting women’s ability to take up key employment positions. Terego District Vice Chairperson Sunday Ayikoru also expressed concern over the persistence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), saying many women continue to suffer its effects, especially those forced into early marriages.

Meanwhile, Gender Coordinator Irene Esther reaffirmed the commitment of development partners to continue supporting programmes aimed at addressing the challenges facing women while complementing government initiatives.

Inadequate economic empowerment was also cited as a major challenge, with many women resorting to high-interest loans that negatively affect their businesses. Activists, government officials, and partners, however, advised women to take advantage of government microfinance programmes designed to support women in business, noting that these facilities have lower interest rates and more flexible repayment conditions.