Project titleEnhancing the Participation of Girls and Young Women in Decision-Making Processes and Transformative Social Gender Norms in Bugiri District.
Project goalIncreased sustained influence of GYW on gender norms and in decision-making in formal and informal institutions.
Geographic Reach
Main focus: 6 sub-counties (Iwemba, Buluguyi, Nabukalu, Kapyanga, Eastern Division, and Western division) with dotted extension to the rest of the other sub-counties.
Funding Portfolio
325,000 EUROS
Target beneficiaries
Primary beneficiaries are girls and young women 14-24 years.
Secondary Beneficiaries are girls & children below 13 years, PWD irrespective of age and sex, and other vulnerabilities.
Best practices
The involvement of LC Leaders, Women Guild leaders, Male Champions, Religious and Cultural Leaders together with GYW advocates during community advocacy engagements has been a strong mobilization strategy that has led to ownership and collective response of issues raised by GYW.
The rationale of the project
Girls and Young women are not given the same opportunity as men and boys around the world. This is due to held beliefs of what women and girls should and should not do within their homes, communities, and society.
These beliefs are often used to determine the lives of girls and limit their full inclusion in a society where men are more likely to make important decisions- even decisions about women’s and girls’ lives, opportunities, and bodies.
Girls and Young Women need to be included in decision-making, from the household level to the national level where laws are made for all Ugandans.
Beliefs that limit girls and young women need to be changed by sharing information so that all people know the importance of girls and young women in society and how they contribute to safer, healthier, and more advanced communities. She Leads is ensuring that there is space for girls and young women to be part of making important decisions. This project brings together groups of girls and young women and local organisations so they can share positive messages with communities about gender equality and inclusion.
By working with local and national leaders, She Leads is allowing girls to share their challenges and opinions, and tell them what they need to live better, safer, and healthier lives. It is upon this basis that MUCOBADI designed an intervention to address the counter productive social cultural barriers to young women’s’ participation in decision making processes.
Most Significant achievements
- Increased confidence among girls and young women meaningfully engaging stakeholders at both community, Sub County, District, National and International levels.
- Formation of GYW Alliance at District level spearheading the girls’ movement while advocating for the rights of GYW and influencing participation of GYW in decision-making spaces at all levels.
- Increased engagement of stakeholders to the extent of making bye-laws that protect the rights of GYW
- Re- enrolment to schools, most especially girls who had dropped out due to continuous advocacy engagements both at community, sub-county, and District levels.
- Positive mindset change among parents toward girls’ education
