Outcome UGA_D_1.1

Inclusive and Accountable Governance and Women’s Access to Justice

Equal participation of women in local decision-making processes is critical for prioritising women’s needs in local governments’ (LG) agendas and attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). In Uganda, Local Government councils have powers enshrined in the LG Act, 1997 to make and implement development plans based on locally determined priorities; make, approve and execute Local Government budgets; raise and utilise resources according to their priorities; and make ordinances and byelaws, among other roles. Women’s participation and representation in LG councils open avenues to enter arenas of political decision-making and advance women’s interests as such opportunities enable women to demonstrate quality leadership, creatinglegitimate channels for higher levels of leadership. In Uganda, women constitute about 46% of total elected representatives in Local Governments (UBOS, 2017). A recent study by Forum for Women in Democracy (2020) confirms the composition of leaders in primary leadership positions in the local governance structure is still dominated by men, with women’s representation remaining considerably low, especially in top positions. Specifically, the following are reported as percentages of the top district leadership positions occupied by women; District Chairpersons (2.6%), Vice-Chairpersons (26.5%), Chairperson District Service Commission (16.8), District Speakers (13.7%) and Chief Administrative Officers (14.5%). To overcome the observed low participation rates, UN Women supported civil society organisations (CSOs) make deliberate efforts to conduct community awareness sessions to sensitise people about the importance of women’s participation in politics. During 2024, most of the sensitizations were done in the refugee and host community populations to encourage women’s participation in leadership within and outside the settlements. Women’s representation on Refugee Welfare Committees (RWC) in Adjumani increased from 54% in 2022 to 55% in 2023/24. Within the various community leadership structures such as Village Health Teams, food and water committees, women’s ability to provide leadership within their communities improved, with 35.5% (178 out of 500) of the women trained in leadership taking on various community leadership roles.

Inclusive and Accountable Governance and Women’s Access to Justice

Public confidence in Uganda’s justice institutions has significantly improved, reflecting progress in governance and accountability. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Governance and Peace Survey, 93% of respondents expressed trust in the justice system, with notable increases in specific institutions: 82% trust courts of law (up from 60% in 2017), 74% trust the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (up from 24% in 2017), and 78% trust FIDA Uganda (up from 45% in 2017). Near gender parity in Uganda’s judiciary (women now constitute 49.7%, with representation at higher levels reaching 51.26%) has strengthened the legitimacy and credibility of the justice system among women court users. Having more women on the bench fosters trust and encourages women to report violations and engage with formal justice mechanisms. This is further underscored by the appointment of the first female Principal Judge, a transformative development that influences jurisprudence, case management practices, and policy directions. For example in one of the cases, the principal judge removed her robes, came down from her chambers closer to the GBV victim to listen to her story. UN Women has contributed to these positive shifts by providing financial and technical support to strengthen institutional capacity for gender-responsive justice delivery. In 2024 UN Women supported the process of development of the Judiciary Gender Policy and Strategy and in 2023 UN Women supported the developed of a manual on Training of Judicial Officers on effective management of GBV cases, including building competencies to integrate gender perspectives in legal processes, improving access to justice for women and marginalized groups, and promoting survivor-centered approaches. These efforts have reinforced institutional credibility and responsiveness, ensuring justice systems uphold equality and non-discrimination.

Inclusive and Accountable Governance and Women’s Access to Justice

Public trust in the justice system is improving. In 2023, public trust in the justice system stood at 69% according to data collected from the SEMA pilot program located at 50 frontline JLOS service points (JLOS annual report, 2022/23). This presents a 7-percentage point increase from the 62% reported in 2022. There is significant improvement in the capacity of justice institutions to deliver gender responsive justice services. This year, a costed strategy forthe management of gender-based violence cases in the Judiciary using a survivor centred approach. This is expected to improve the management of GBV cases through the Uganda Police Force (UPF), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Judiciary. The composition of women in governance positions has not changed much. Women still constitute 33.8% of seats in Uganda’s national parliament, 46.5% of ministerial positions, and 46% of local government councilors.