JESSICA ALUPO Opening Ceremony Of The Womens Political Leadership Regional Convention

The Executive Director Akina Mama wa Africa Eunice Musiime,

Hon. Ministers,

Hon. Members of Parliament,

All women of Africa,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of Government and the People of Uganda, am honored to welcome you to this year’s Regional Women’s Leadership Convention. The significance of this Convention underscores the important role a woman plays in our social, economic and political perspectives of this Region; and the whole of Africa.

The African Woman, Ladies and Gentlemen, shares a common history, common challenges and friends within and outside of Africa; and I hasten to observe that we share a common and better future, to look forward to. Today, therefore, we the women who occupy privileged positions of leadership, must unite and address these commonalities that continue to define the African Woman.  This Convention organized by Akina Mama wa Africa in collaboration with the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) is a good starting point for us to realize this common dream.

During the 57th anniversary of the Pan-African Women’s Organization, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat underlined two important points which I wish to reiterate today:

He said that women continue to be the backbone of the economies of Africa as farmers, entrepreneurs, traders, scientists and leaders in many other sectors, and encouraged them to continue doing so for the transformation of Africa.

He also pointed out that it is our collective responsibility to hold ourselves and our leaders accountable to deliver on our gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments.

This Convention should, among other things, focus on generating knowledge that accelerates the advancement of women’s rights, including the rights of women to participate in politics in this region and the rest of Africa.  This resonates very well with this year’s theme, i.e. ‘women’s political leadership: building back transformatively’, all of us should discuss and generate practical solutions to raise a woman’s social, economic and political status.

Given the historical gender imbalance in Uganda and the rest of Africa, what is needed is affirmative action to uplift the previously marginalized social groups and to address their concerns. For the last 30 or so years, Uganda has been resolving the above imbalance whereby our Government deliberately emphasized affirmative action to ensure representation of women at all levels of decision-making. Further to that, the Government of Uganda introduced the youth livelihood and women entrepreneurship programs to help the youth and women to engage in income-generating activities. I am glad to note that at the political level, the elderly, youth, disabled women in Uganda are well represented today; from the grass root to the highest Office, in this Country.

In particular and in the spirit of empowering the African woman therefore, I invite all of you to continue celebrating the African Woman; during and after the two days’ Convention.

Among the categories of women, I wish to recognize in a special way during this convention, are female medical workers, e.g. doctors, nurses, and midwives, etc. who are the vessels through which life is borne. In addition to their routine tasks, many of these women plus other health workers are at the front line, fighting to contain the COVID -19 pandemic. As we strive to ensure gender parity in this region and the rest of Africa, let’s continue celebrating the achievements of these people, and other African women.

I now have the pleasure to declare the Women’s Political Leadership Regional Convention officially open.

For God and my Country.

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