'Women are locked up in unpaid work' costing government billions

The loss in gross domestic product is estimated at Shs252 billion among sub-Sahara countries which includes Uganda.

The Equal Opportunities Commission chairperson, Safia Nalule Jjuuko made the reveal in a presentation during a dialogue on gender equality and women’s empowerment financing. She said resource allocation for gender and equity interventions has declined to Shs9.4 billion in two years from Shs9.8 billion.

She then urged the government to see that programmes like the Parish Development Model are implemented properly due to their potential to support small-scale businesses, drive economic recovery, enhance household income and ensure food security.

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National statistics on gender gaps

The Uganda National Household Survey 2019/20 indicates that at least eight out of 10 females, which represents about 80 per cent, spend 10 hours or more engaged in unpaid care work such as child and home care. This trend “negatively impacts their time for productive work". On the other side, those who work, especially in agriculture, lack access to capital and inputs, which explains the massive failure to scale up production.

Judith Mutabazi, the National Planning Authority's acting manager of population and social sector planning, said the majority of women are locked up in small-scale agriculture with limited value addition.

The government budget for agro-industrialisation paints an even dire picture since the allocated budget has dropped from Shs1.6 trillion to Shs1.3 trillion in the next financial year.

Mr Julius Mukunda, the CSBAG executive director, said women and girls also need to actively participate in governance and the economy and not just settle for scaling women's businesses. He noted that funds for women-led enterprises need to be ring-fenced before they are properly allocated.