Women in Bullisa standup for their rights.
Societies in Uganda are predominantly patriarchal and even though many women in these societies may know their rights, they are encouraged to take the back seat and therefore have their voices silenced.
The women in Buliisa district were no exception to this rule until AAIU, through a local partner-Solidarity Uganda, came in to build the capacities of the women through trainings and information dissemination.
The women had previously formed an umbrella association dubbed Bullisa Women Development Agency (BUWODA) although it was no longer active until another women association- Kakindo Integrated Women Development agency decided to host BUWODA in attempts to activate it.
During trainings conducted by Solidarity Uganda, women were empowered with information on the rights and the laws governing the country.
With this empowerment, the women were able to advocate for their rights in areas of land rights, social service provision in the health and education sector, among others.
Gorreti Kiiza, coordinator of BUWODA shared her testimony saying that the women embarked on demanding that a new maternity ward be built at Bullisa Health Center IV because the facility always got overly crowded, contributing to poor health facility and high mortality rates among childbearing mothers. The women had petitioned the district leadership on the issue of constructing anew maternity ward through a solidarity match to the district offices during the 2019 commemoration ceremony of Uganda’s Independence Day in the month of October.
Following the pressure mounted by the women, the district leadership made provision for a tent to work as a ward for the meantime but even then, equipping the tent became another struggle for these women to go through.
“They promised to construct a bigger maternity ward but after six months, we realized there was nothing done. So, with the help of Solidarity Uganda, we made a peaceful demonstration to follow up the issue,” Ms. Kiiza said.
The head of Bullisa Health Center IV- Mr. Richard Mugume gave his remarks saying “The new tent has been critical in helping to decongest the maternity ward. It has helped us to detach a few mothers who are waiting to deliver.”
Kiiza said BUWODA will continue to apply pressure to the district leadership to ensure that a more permanent ward is constructed at the health facility. She also said that another women’s group in one of the sub-counties petitioned the district to provide them with a source of safe water citing that they had been walking long distances to collect water. On exerting enough pressure through advocacy, the women had been promised a borehole in their community.
Beatrice Katusabe, a member of BUWODA said that thanks to AAIU’s intervention, women in her community are now more aware of their land rights. She added to this saying that her husband can now not sell land without her consent and approval.
In addition to the information dissemination, the members of BUWODA have been empowered with economic skills like making of briquettes that are used in the place of firewood. “We no longer have to walk long distances to collect firewood for cooking and this is a safer option for the environment,” said Justine Muhemba, a member of BUWODA.