Mutagamba, M. (2016). Water Gender Policy in Practice in Uganda. Solutions 7(6): 38-39. https://thesolutionsjournal.com/article/water-gender-policy-in-practice-in-uganda/
Perspectives Water Gender Policy in Practice in Uganda by Maria Mutagamba
A
s a country, Uganda has strived over the years to ensure that it has a gender-sensitive approach towards development. In 1997, the Ugandan government developed its first Uganda Gender Policy (UGP). Renewed in 2007, the UGP aims to establish a clear framework for identification, implementation, and coordination of interventions aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.1 The policy
requires ministries to translate the UGP into sector-specific strategies and activities, build capacity, monitor and evaluate, and commit resources for implementing these activities. So, in 1999, when the government formulated a National Water Policy to promote a sustainable approach to manage water, the UGP was applied. The water policy specifies that both women and men should have equal opportunity in community management, including water and sanitation committees.2 One of the crucial steps in this process was collecting data on how water scarcity affects men and women differently—with the burden
of water collection usually falling on the latter. Over a decade later, the results of the national study on water have been utilized impressively, with ongoing work to integrate women into local decision-making processes on resource management. Access to safe water in rural areas has been growing steadily, from 61.3 percent in 2004/5 to 65 percent in 20014/15. Yet, problems remain. There continues to be limited gender disaggregated data in the sector, which affects gender responsive planning and budgeting. In 2008, only 16 percent of districts had additional
Corinne Schuster-Wallace
Women participating in a community meeting about water and health challenges in Kiyindi, Uganda. 38 | Solutions | November-December 2016 | www.thesolutionsjournal.org