The African Women Leaders Network is a mobilizing and advocacy platform, with Chapters in 39 AU member states. It is appealing respectfully to His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, to kindly use his authourity to have a review conducted, by the mandated authourities, of the charges of sectarianism laid against Honourable Miria Matembe, former Member of Parliament.
Honourable Matembe is a long-standing advocate for women’s empowerment and rights in Uganda, with a record known by many women around the African Continent. Our concern is heightened by reports of other women being arrested recently, with allegedly no known charges. AWLN recognizes Uganda’s progress in advancing women’s participation in leadership and promoting policies that support gender equity and women’s empowerment.
Notable achievements include increased representation of women in leadership, with women currently holding 49% of Cabinet positions, as well as programmes that promote women’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment and strengthened legal protections for women and girls. These advances have contributed to strengthening the role of women in public life and have been recognized across the continent.
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Given this background we are concerned that there may be others who are not fully aligned with His Excellency’s vision of gender equity and this could lead to his record being tarnished. We urge His Excellency to remain steadfast in his efforts and appeal to him to continue to protect the rights of women and to address any attempts to derail the advancements made by women in Uganda.