By Gabriel Luryeyo
The 2023 UNDP Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI), Breaking Down Gender Biases: Shifting Social Norms Towards Gender Equality, makes a profound pronouncement on the effect of gender social norms on women’s participation in public affairs. It states: “Without tackling biased gender social norms, we will not achieve gender equality or the Sustainable Development Goals.
Biased gender social norms—the undervaluation of women’s capabilities and rights in society—constrain women’s choices and opportunities by regulating behavior and setting the boundaries of what women are expected to do and be. Biased gender social norms are a major impediment to achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.”
Various surveys and testimonies from women in public office in Uganda affirm what the GSNI states. At community level, the problem is even more apparent. In Acholi sub-region in northern Uganda, women are struggling to break such harmful cultural beliefs and social norms that prescribe that their roles are confined to the kitchen and nurturing children. The belief has been blamed for the low number of women joining active politics.
According to Ms Sarah Adongkena, the former District Woman Councilor V for Madi-Opei-Laloga in Lamwo District, many men are too afraid to let their wives run for political offices because they think women in political offices are public goods (prostitutes).
“Men think that if you allow your wife to get elected into a political office, she will marry or sleep with whoever she wishes to. This negative perception has persisted for years. I think we need to change this kind of mentality about women in politics,” she says.
Adongkena compares this scenario to past practices where women were not allowed to eat certain dishes because it was considered a taboo. This negative perception has extended to women in active politics today.
She also notes that the fear of losing a partner [to another man] has led to many men blocking their wives from participating in active politics.
Vicky Atim, the Gulu District Vice Chairperson shares the same sentiments. She says men are afraid that if their wives are elected to political offices, they (men) will not have control over them.
“Men strongly believe that any woman who has joined active politics is likely to abandon her marital home. Culture has played [a big role] in shaping this thinking,” she says.
According to Ms Phoebe Ayoo Obol, the Speaker Gulu District Local Council, despite the progress Uganda has made in increasing women’s participation in leadership positions, culture has remained a major obstacle.
“First, there is this [belief] that women’s role is confined to the kitchen. Secondly, politics has been male dominated for a long time. So, women coming into politics is something new to the majority of Ugandans. I think these are some of the challenges women are dealing with,” she says.
She notes that even though there are policies which ring-fence some of the elective positions in the country for women, culture and men still stand in the way of women’s desire to lead the country.
Obol is among the four female district speakers out of the eight district speakers in Acholi sub-region who were elected to office in the 2021 local government elections.
Walter Akena, a researcher with Advocates Coalition for Development (ACODE) notes that apart from negative cultural practices, lack of resources and education has affected women’s participation in politics.
“Politics in Uganda is highly commercialized. You need a lot of resources if you are to win an election. Therefore, this makes it very difficult for women to compete favorably. It is even more challenging when a woman wants to compete against men, especially in directly elected positions,” he adds.
Margret Lamwaka, the MP for Chua East County in Kitgum District, is the only MP from Acholi sub-region who went to the 11th Parliament as a directly elected MP.
Concy Arach, a resident of Bar-Dege, Layibi Division, in Gulu City says what women need to overcome cultural obstacles is self-confidence.
“Women are better leaders than men. I think what we need as women is self-belief and proof the doubters wrong. We (women) should show the electorates why they should trust us with political offices. Women should also uplift fellow women,” she adds.
Lucy Akello, the Amuru District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), admits that women still face an uphill task in defying the negative cultural practices. She, however, encourages women not to be afraid of running for political offices.
“I got a lot of support from my father. He told me to let the voice of women be heard so that resources are shared equally. There is also a need to sensitize men so that they understand that women make good leaders,” she adds.
