Women Emancipation and Participation in Elective Politics in Uganda. ‘A Case Study of Kampala District’

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION .

APPROVAL ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xi

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE 1

fNTRODUCTION 1

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 3

1.3 Purpose of the Study 4

1.4 Specific Objective 4

1.5 Research Questions 4 1.6 Scope of the Study s

1.6.1 Content Scope 5 1.6.2 Geographical Scope s 1.6.3 Time Scope s 1.7 Significance of the Study s

1.8 Definition of Key Terms 6

CHAPTER TWO 8

LITERATURE REVIEW 8

V

2.0 Introduction .8

2.1 Positions occupied by women in elective politics as candidates and voters 8

2.2 Level ofwomen participation and strategies undertaken in elective politics 9

2.3 Barriers and challenges faced by women in elective politics 11

2.3.1 Access to Resources as challenge faced by women in elective politics 11

2.3.2 Level of women illiteracy as a challenge faced by women in elective politics 12

2.3.3 Patriarchal Attitudes of Society as a challenge faced by women in elective politics 12

2.3.4 Lack of political grassroots solidarity as a challenge faced by women in elective politics .13

2.3.5 Lack of substantive unified women’s as a challenge faced by women in elective politics..14

2.3.6 Social cultural as a barrier and challenge faced by women in elective politics 15

2.3.7 Religion 17

2.3.8 Ethnicity as a barrier and challenge faced by women in elective politics 17

2.4 Summary of literature review 18

CHAPTER THREE 19

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19

3.0 Introduction 19

3.1 Research Design 19

3.2 Area of Study 19

3.3 Study Population 19

3.4 Sample Size and Technique 20

3.4.1 Sample Size 20

3.4.2 Sampling Technique 20

3.5 Sources of Data 21

3.5.1 Primary Data 21

3.5.2 Secondary Data 21

3.6 Data Collection Instruments 21

3.6.1 Questionnaire 21 vi

3.6.2 Interview Guide .22

3.7 Data Management and Analysis 22

3.7.1 Qualitative Data 22

3.7.2 Quantitative Data 22

3.8 Research Procedure 22

3.9 Ethical Considerations 23

3.10 Limitations to the Study 23

CHAPTER FOUR 24

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS 24

4.0 Introduction 24

4.1 Characteristics of Respondents 24

4.1.1 Respondents by Age 24

4.1.2 Respondents by marital status 25

4.1.3 Respondents by religion 25

4.1.4 Respondents by occupation 26

4.2 Positions occupied by women in elective politics in Kampala 27

4.2.1 Nature of positions occupied most occupied by women in Kampala 27

4.2.2 Findings on political positions more suitable for women in Kampala 28

4.2.3 Findings on whether they would vote for any woman who contests for any political office in their communities 28

4.2.4 Findings on some of the political positions you would like to see women occupy 29

4.2.6 Findings on whether women are politically underrepresented in Kampala District 30

4.3 Level of women’s participation and strategies undertaken in elective politics 30

4.3.1 Findings on I am a registered member in a national political party 30

4.3.2 Findings on I have never stood for any elective position 31

4.3.3 Findings on I am engaged in political activism in women empowerment 32

4.3.4 Findings on I consider politics too dirty for me to participant 32

VII

4.3.5 Findings on I have always participated in voting at all levels 33

4.4 Barriers and challenges faced by women in elective politics 33

4.4.1 Findings on whether there are barriers and challenges faced by women for effective participation in politics and public offices in Kampala 34

4.4.2 Findings on various barriers and challenges limiting women’s participation in Kampala politics 35

4.4.3 Findings on effects of economic realities (if any) on women’s ability to participate in Kampala politics 38

4.4.4 Findings on effects of woman’s marital status on her ability to participate in politics 39

4.4.5 Findings on effects of woman’s perceptions on their ability to her ability to participate in Kampala politics 41

4.4.6 Possible solutions to the challenges faced by women in electoral positions 42

CHAPTER FIVE 43

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 43

5.0 Introduction 43

5.1 Summary of Findings 43

5.1.1 Positions women occupy in political leadership in Kampala district 43

5.1.2 Level of women’s participation in elective politics in Kampala district 43

5.1.3 Barriers and challenges faced by women in elective politics in Kampala District 44

5.2 Conclusions 45

5.3 Recommendations 47

5.4 Areas of Further studies 47

REFERENCES 48

APPENDIX1: QUESTIONARE 50

APPENDIX II: BUDGET 56

APPENDIX III: TIME FRAME 57

ABSTRACT

The study focused on women emancipation and their participation in elective politics in Kampala

district. The apparent invisibility of women in politics is a worldwide phenomenon; and so there

is no much difference in case of Uganda. Despite concerted efforts by the organizations and in

the country championing for women’s emancipation and their participation in elective politics in

Uganda, substantial changes have not been realized concerning women’s emancipation and their

participation as far as taking up top and strategic political offices is concerned. This study is

interested in explaining why there is still low women emancipation and their participation in

elective politics and why they have not had a visible positive impact on the quality of

performance of women at the legislative and national level. The study was guided by three

objectives: To establish the Positions occupied by women in elective politics as candidates and

voters in Kampala district. To demonstrate the level of women participation and strategies

undertaken in elective politics. To identify possible challenges faced by women in elective

politics in Kampala.The study found out that most of the positions are simply reserved for men by law implying that few women are in position to compete head on with men in several elective positions.

The study recommended that various barriers and challenges limiting women’s participation in

Kampala politics should be overcome through women empowerment programmes. It also

recommended that both women and men should enjoy the same rights, even in the area of

political leadership both men and women should be given similar favorable terms and conditions

which are generally accepted by society, women themselves should take a step to fight inferiority

complex and lack of unity among themselves since it is one of the other leading barriers and

challenge that confines women from effectively participating in elective politics in the study

area. Furthermore the perception among women that politics is a dirty game should be out of

their minds if woman emancipation is to be promoted.