As the country looks forward to celebrating International Women’s Day on Sunday March 8, women leaders in Hoima City have cited a crucial impact that women can contribute in both businesses and leadership for local and national developments.
According to the women, there is a critical need to celebrate, but also to support the efforts invested towards development of the country by women.
In an interview with tndNews, Uganda, Catherine Kobusinge who is the president for Hoima City Development Forum, said that women are worth celebrating, noting their efforts in both business and leadership development especially on service delivery.
Kobusinge noted that women play crucial roles in decision-making that contribute to business development and better service delivery.
“God created a woman fully like he did create a man and He saw it wise and important for a man to be with a woman for better development,” Kobusinge said.
“It is why you see any home without a woman is not a good home, a business without a woman’s hand is never successful and also leadership without women is never effective in service deliveries,” she continued.
However, she noticed negative mindsets towards some work, and ignorance of girl child education, the habits which will cause women’s faces to be covered from the public.
She encouraged women to be good role models to society by portraying good pictures to the public by ensuring discipline, hardwork and also encouraging girl child education.
Contributions of women have been witnessed at different places of work including both government offices and private sectors across the globe where women equally engage male predominant duties.
However, in the early years before 1986, women were eliminated from some work categories including driving, holding leadership positions, expressing feelings in decision making, among others.
Zainabu Balyesiza, works as a wood smoother at one of the furniture shops in Kiryatete East Cell in Hoima City. She said that a woman can do any kind of work a man does.
Balyesiza, who is also a widow for 65 years, said she walks on foot on a daily basis from Monday to Saturday. She has worked there for about six years now.
She said she lives with her two sons whom she has been able to pay for their education. One child is now in senior one this year while one is in primary seven.
Balyesiza added that she was initially a peasant farmer before paving her way to such work.
“I never had a chance at formal education. Now given my age, I no longer have the energy to do heavy works including garden works apart from doing some of these light works which most women say is only done by men,” she narrated.
She added: “I cannot do much to earn more but I am able to afford necessities for my livelihoods including buying food, paying medical bills, and paying tuition for my two sons.”
Balyesiza is paid every week – on Saturday. However, she never disclosed the amount.
Anna Rosemary Musimenta, a student undertaking an installation course at Nile Vocational Institute (NVI) Hoima City encourages fellow girls to desist from the community stigmatisation against some opportunities, saying that women play equal roles like men.
She called upon the government to support girls’ child hands-on skilling, to enable them to tap into government opportunities.
Sylvia Nalumaga Balyesiima, who is the deputy mayor and secretary for finance, administration and planning for Hoima City, is amazed by March 8, saying it allows the country to recognise the efforts of women, the gender that continues to remain unthanked heroes.
Nalumaga who is also the Director of Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association (UWEA), and a founder of Bunyoro Women Development Network (BUWODEN), said following a couple of challenges facing women in the region, they started BUWODEN 16 years ago to overcome barriers in both women and youth.
“We realised that women have been sharing common challenges due to a lack of networking and a platform to address their challenges and to achieve economic development.”
Nalumaga noted limited access to finances, lack of marketing knowledge, product value addition since the majority exist in agricultural sectors and lack of economic empowerment for women to be economically independent.
Other challenges include a lack of reproductive rights, domestic violence, traditional customs, and women’s underrepresentation in politics especially in decision-making.
The deputy mayor said that their intervention to the challenges has been enhancing women and youth through capacity building on hands-on skills, introduction of mentorship programmes for women’s development, nurturing and counselling.
She encouraged women to prioritise government programs but also work hard for their economic development.
Bacheller Atuheire, the NVI principal, said that they have always empowered the education of the girl child at their institution by offering 25 per cent school bursaries especially to ladies undertaking courses which are more predominant by men.
“We hope that by doing so, we build their capacity to know that they can equally be recognised among men,” he said.
Atuheire identified electrical engineering, driving and mechanics among their courses.
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