The yardstick for measuring women as political leaders in rural Uganda

Abstract

This study was to assess the yardstick for measuring women as political leaders in rural Uganda, focusing on Lobule Sub County in Koboko District. The government of Uganda, with the desire to correct historical mistakes that placed women in a subordinate position, instituted laws and policies to empower women to participate in the governance of the country. However, these efforts have apparently not yielded much, given the minimum number of women in elected leadership positions, especially in the rural areas were, majority are on the affirmative action ticket. This study therefore found out the actual yardsticks used for measuring women who seek election to leadership in rural areas, how the way women are judged affect their involvement elections and possible strategies to address the yardsticks that prevent women from getting into political leadership. The researcher employed both case study and descriptive research as the main study design. Lobule Sub County was identified as the case study and through simple random sampling, three parishes from which three villages each were selected as study area. The research covered the period between 2009-2011 general elections, the most recent election in Uganda. It employed both qualitative and quantitative methods of both data collection and analysis. The research found out that, given the existing socio-economic context of rural Uganda, particularly Lobule Sub County, various yardsticks that are not necessarily relevant to the job description of political leaders are employed to judge women when seeking elections. These unrealistic yardsticks place un necessary pressure on women leaders, discouraging them from building lasting political ambitions. The study then identified strategies such as rigorous civic education and engagement of the key agents, processes and institutions of socialization not only to empower women but also promote values that encourage equality between men and women. The findings of this study are reflective of the patriarchal nature of our societies and the general political environment in which elections are conducted. This environment is not favourable to women, and is also a barrier to government policies and programs designed to improve the status of women in society; probably that is why women’s involvement in politics is still very low. Therefore it is recommended that before any policy changes or development of new ones, efforts must be made to break through the socio-cultural barriers, beliefs, attitudes and practices that perpetuate the subornation of women in society in order for these policies to yield the results expected.