Female leaders rally against gender norms limiting women
Rita Achiro, the Executive Director of UWONET noted that despite strides made in women's leadership, deeply rooted societal norms continue to hold women back.
(L-R) Bashira Nantongo from Network of Women in Politics (NOWIP), Charity Kalebbo Ahimbisibwe Chairperson of UMWA and Jocelyn Ekochu from CEWIGO addressing women leaderships during national women leaders’ summit Onomo hotel on March 4, 2025. (Photos by Mary Kansiime)
Dallen Namugga
Journalist @New Vision
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Women leaders in government, civil society organizations, and the private sector have called for a united effort to challenge the gender norms that hinder women from advancing in leadership.
During the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) Women’s Summit held at Onomo Hotel in Nakasero on March 5, 2025, the leaders highlighted the societal ridicule women face when they take up leadership positions.
They urged fellow female leaders to actively combat these norms that continue to suppress women’s potential.
Rita Achiro, the Executive Director of UWONET noted that despite strides made in women's leadership, deeply rooted societal norms continue to hold women back.
She pointed out that misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information are some of the biggest obstacles women especially those seeking elected office, face.
“When a woman rises or is rising into a leadership position, there is so much that goes around,” Achiro said, adding, “People give wrong information; they create information that’s not even there.”
Beyond misinformation, she highlighted other pressing challenges such as gender-based violence, the burden of unpaid care work, and economic constraints.
Achiro noted that many women are consumed by work that, despite its immense social value, is not recognized economically, limiting their ability to engage in leadership spaces.
“There is no way our voices, our concerns, our issues will be addressed if we do not engage in the public discourse, we cannot engage in the kitchen and think our issues will be heard. We have to be in public spaces,” Achiro said.
She urged women in leadership to view their roles beyond holding office and instead focus on uplifting others.
“Leadership is about adding value, holding hands and mentorship. It’s about causing change for the benefit of others, not you,” she asserted.
Breaking the culture of individualism
Joselyn Ekochu, the executive director of the Centre for Women in Governance (CEWIGO), identified individualism as a major challenge among women in leadership.
She emphasized the need for collaboration across different sectors.
“Do away with individualism. We need one another. Let us build our networks into one big network,” she stated, stressing that collective empowerment is key to increasing women’s representation in leadership.
The role of media
Media was recognized as a crucial tool in dismantling negative social norms that hinder women’s leadership and participation in public life.
Charity Ahimbisibwe, a lawyer and former journalist, emphasized the need for media professionals, particularly women, to take an active role in shaping the narrative around female leaders.
She said this can be done by amplifying women’s voices with factual reporting.
"There are good data collection tools online. And media women can use them to put out data, real data about women," Ahimbisibwe noted.
She stressed that misinformation and limited access to accurate information continue to disadvantage women in leadership, particularly during elections.
She also cited an example from the 2021 elections, where many women struggled if their academic documents bore their husband’s name.
Ahimbisibwe called for stronger collaboration between women in media and aspiring female leaders to ensure their stories and challenges are properly documented and shared.
She also urged politically ambitious women to use media platforms to highlight their leadership journeys.
Young women facing resistance
At the same event, young women who aspire to leadership positions shared the challenges they face including supervisors who undermine their ambitions.
Bashira Nantongo, a lecturer at Kampala International University (KIU), said the fear of being outshined has led some older leaders to suppress young aspirants, discouraging them from engaging in politics.
“There is a lot of conflict within fellow women. Young people are pulled down by their supervisors who are afraid of being outshined. We now go to social media and post entertainment because posting sense doesn’t get likes,” Nantongo explained.
She urged senior female leaders to mentor and prepare young women for leadership instead of blocking their progress, warning that failing to do so could leave room for unqualified individuals to take over leadership positions.
Pushing for meaningful participation
The discussions at the UWONET Women’s Summit underscored the persistent challenges women face in leadership, from negative social norms to structural barriers such as gender-based violence and economic limitations.
Speakers emphasized that women must actively participate in governance to influence policies that affect them.
The summit provided a crucial platform for female leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to strategize on advancing gender equality and increasing women’s representation in decision-making spaces.
As Uganda prepares for the 2026 elections, the summit reinforced the urgency of amplifying women's voices in politics, public service, and all leadership sectors.
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