Women's Democracy Network Uganda

28/08/2025

The Interparty Youth Platform (IYOP) which comprises of 10 political party youth leagues in Uganda including ANT, CP, DP, EPU, FDC, JEEMA, NRM, PPP, UFA and UPC concluded the establishment and training of the Eastern region structure on August 27 2025. With support from WDN-Uganda and International Republican Institute (IRI) the regional leaders discussed their priorities and developed an action plan. The two objectives that informed their action plan are: 1. Increasing youth participation in the 2026 elections in the region and; 2. Contributing to peaceful elections in the region by influencing the behavior of youth in the elections. The structure selected its leadership and set up communication platform to ease information sharing between the national level and the region. Women's Democracy Network Africa Women's Democracy Network National Resistance Movement - NRM Action For Development Forum for Democratic Change Uganda Peoples Congress Official Democratic Party Uganda

20/08/2025

WDN-U and Christian Democratic International Center - KIC are conducting candidates training for some of the best performing councilors they trained in 2023 and 2024 and afew new candidates seeking election and re-election in the 2026 elections in Uganda. The participants are from five political parties in Uganda including Forum for Democratic Change Democratic Party Uganda NUP Uganda Peoples Congress Official National Resistance Movement - NRM Participants are from the districts of Sheema, Lira, Busia, Wakiso, Kwania, Mukono, Jinja, Luwero, Oyam, Sironko, Agago, Nwoya, Kampala, Lira city, Arua city, Mbale city. The participants with guidance from facilitators have discussed various topics including: election laws and the nomination process in Uganda, dispute resolution mechanisms in the election process, building a winning campaign team, election campaigning through traditional and digital platforms and countering disinformation and misinformation, fundraising , message development, voter mobilization and targeting and campaign planning etc, ethics and integrity, conflict resolution and the roles of councilors. The councilors have reviewed their performance and some of the strategies they have used to address community problems. Participants drafted their messages and budgets in preparation for the election. International Republican Institute (IRI) Women's Democracy Network Africa Action For Development Women's Democracy Network ActionAid Uganda ACFIM Uganda Local Governments Association(ULGA) Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Perry Aritua

07/08/2025

Join Women's Democracy Network Africa and WIPF Nigeria on Thursday August 14 2025 at 6.00pm EAT, 5.00pm SAST and CAT and 4.00pm WAT as leaders from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya share insights on the experience with quotas including pros, cons and way forward # Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria has one of the lowest numbers on women in Parliament at 4 percent.

04/08/2025

04/08/2025

The Interparty Women's Platform ( IWOP) is in Western Uganda meeting with women league leaders from 10 political parties that comprise IWOP to establish its structure in Western region. The political parties that comprise IWOP are ANT, CP, DP, EPU, FDC, JEEMA, NRM, PPP, UFA and UPC. The participants are women league leaders from districts in the region. The national women leaders are facilitating the establishment of the structure and training the league leaders in the region. The women league leaders from the region will establish IWOP structures in the region, select their leadership to oversee implementation of the IWOP strategic plan, identify common issues that affect women in politics in the region accross political parties and develop an action plan to address the issues. WDN- Uganda and IRI are supporting IWOP to establish the regional structures. Women's Democracy Network International Republican Institute (IRI) Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Christian Democratic International Center - KIC

30/07/2025

Join Women's Democracy Network Africa tomorrow, July 31 2025 to listen and discuss the topic in the flyer. Women's Democracy Network International Republican Institute (IRI) Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Uganda Local Governments Association(ULGA) ActionAid Uganda Action For Development Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development

22/07/2025

WDN-U is providing technical support to the Interparty Women's Platform (IWOP) in Uganda as they roll out the establishment and training of regional structures in accordance with their strategic plan 2023-2026.

On July 20-21 2025, the regional IWOP structure and executive committee in northern Uganda was formed and trained. The region was represented by 20 women league leaders from 10 political parties in Uganda that comprise IWOP inclyding: Democratic Party Uganda Forum for Democratic Change National Resistance Movement - NRM Uganda Peoples Congress Official On July 22-23 2025, the IWOP national women league leaders and WDN-U will be in Soroti city to begin the process of establishment and training of the Eastern region structure. In northern Uganda, the women leaders identified Violence against Women in Elections and security, lack of free and fair elections affected by open bribery, rigging and the concerns of women especially on their land rights, limited access to education and health services as key concerns for women in the region.The regional IWOP structure in northern Uganda developed an action plan which will guide their activities in the region. International Republican Institute (IRI) Women's Democracy Network Women's Democracy Network Africa Uganda Women's Network (UWONET)

16/07/2025

Creating a pool of trainers in each political party to train newly elected MPs and Councils enhances the capacity and ultimately the performance of elected leaders. Following research in 2020 and 2022 by KIC on the challenges for women and youth participation in political parties, Christian Democratic International Center - KIC and WDN-U are providing training of trainers to selected party members in NRM, NUP, FDC and UPC. The trainers who were selected by respective political parties using a criteria will be instrumental in training elected local councilors from each of the four parties following the 2026 general elections in Uganda. NRM and FDC have already benefited from the training in July 2025. NUP and UPC will benefit from the training in the coming months. The trainers are former effective MPs, Speakers and CSO leaders who have trained councilors over a period of years. Forum for Democratic Change National Resistance Movement - NRM Perry Aritua

18/06/2025

The Interparty Women's Platform (IWOP) will begin rolling out its structures to the regions. Planning for this process is important. IWOP is discussing modalities for this process. Women's Democracy Network Africa Women's Democracy Network Uganda Women's Network (UWONET)

11/06/2025

As Women's Democracy Network concludes the 10days of activism vs women which focused on technology driven violence against women in politics, we urge all African countries to ratify and domesticate the Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls in Africa. All human beings have a right to live in a Violence free society. Women's Democracy Network Africa National Resistance Movement - NRM Forum for Democratic Change NUP Uganda Peoples Congress Official FDC Women League Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Democratic Party Uganda Uganda Human Rights Commission - UHRC Uganda Police Force Alliance for National Transformation-Uganda Women of Uganda Network Christian Democratic International Center - KIC International Republican Institute (IRI) Women's International Peace Centre Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Uwopa Parliament

05/06/2025

Today, WDN-U convened a conversation on on-line violence against women in politics as we mark 10 days of activism against violence against women in politics Women's Democracy Network This year, the focus is on technology driven violence against women in politics Pollicy an organization that conducted a study on online violence against women in the 2021 elections in Uganda presented the findings. We then had a panel discussion by Hon. Sylvia Rwabogo a former woman MP for Kabarole district in the 10th Parliament of Uganda who suffered immeasurable online violence following a case of stalking by a 24 year old man which case she took to Court. We listened to the horrendous effects of this violence on her and her family and its cost to her political career. Hon. Rwabogo is among the few bold women who used the legal system to get justice. Too many women suffer online abuse in silence because the abuse gets worse when they attempt to defend themselves or report it. Its trivialized by duty bearers and both men and women in society partly due to gender norms.

Counsel educated the participants on the laws applicable in cases of online violence and what the courts look for in adjudication of these cases. The participants highlighted recommendations to address this vice including advocacy to ensure tech companies track and stop abusers, litigation, and public awareness about the effects of this vice.

Online violence keeps women out of politics, it leads to self censorship and normalizes abuse if it's not addressed. We must not allow online violence to be normalized. It has serious effects on freedom of speech and women's participation in public affairs including elections and politics. Politics determines whether we access our rights to education, health care, economic opportunities etc. Both men and women have a right to participate in political decision making free from violence. Women's Democracy Network Africa International Republican Institute (IRI) National Endowment for Democracy NUP National Resistance Movement - NRM Democratic Party Uganda Forum for Democratic Change Alliance for National Transformation-Uganda Uganda Peoples Congress Official Uganda Human Rights Commission - UHRC Uganda Police Force Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Women of Uganda Network Uganda National NGO Forum

04/06/2025

On May 26-27 2025, WDN-U conducted candidates training for women seeking elective office in Arua city and Koboko district on the tickets of the existing political parties in the two areas including Forum for Democratic Change Alliance for National Transformation-Uganda National Resistance Movement - NRM NUP we discussed the challenges the candidates are facing and enhanced their knowledge and skills on how to prepare for election including understanding the legal framework for the electionand the importance of their participation, campaign planning and strategy, community engagement, communication and public speaking and fundraising, engaging duty bearers in the election and media . Bringing the women candidates together is important because it enables them to focus on the core issues which affect the electorate regardless of the political party tickets on which they seek election. We also discussed the importance of creating a political culture free from violence and the role of the women candidates in ensuring that each one of them enjoys their right to a peaceful election. International Republican Institute (IRI) Women's Democracy Network Women's Democracy Network Africa Perry Aritua Women's International Peace Centre Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) Uganda Human Rights Commission - UHRC Christian Democratic International Center - KIC Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development