Since independence in 1962, Uganda has endured two brutal dictatorships, numerous attempted coups and a protracted civil war. Historically, Uganda’s political parties were seen as the source of the country’s violent and unstable past. Consequently, one of President Yoweri Museveni’s first acts upon assuming power in 1986 was to ban political parties under a “no-party system,” in which the National Resistance Movement (NRM), or "the Movement,” became the country’s sole political entity. Although the no-party arrangement was designed to be temporary, 19 years since its introduction, the Movement system remained in place, making Uganda a de-facto one-party state.
In 2005 President Museveni and the “Movement” allowed for a constitutional referendum raising the question of a return to multiparty elections. While opposition members in the country were bolstered by this public display of openness, many experts signaled their concern at a rider amendment in the referendum banning the limitation on presidential term limits. The successful referendum ushered in a new era of increased competition between political parties, but also, according to many experts, a consolidation of NRM power and shrinking of political space. The 2006 elections were considered peaceful but the results were not universally accepted. Electoral legitimacy was challenged by the jailing of opposition leaders and the intimidation of political activists. Museveni won the Presidency and the NRM retained a significant control of the Parliament. Regardless of the de-facto current one-party nature of Ugandan politics, the nation has turned its attention to the slow but steady process of learning how to function in a multi-party system.
NDI in Uganda
NDI began its program in October of 2003 working with parliamentary caucuses on a new electoral framework. The program continued in 2004 and 2005 with a focus on capacity building for local NGOs preparing to monitor the upcoming elections and CSOs in the north attempting to broaden citizen participation.
Since 2006, NDI has been working to encourage greater collaboration between women CSOs and women MPs and has assisted their efforts to establish a common women’s legislative agenda (CWLA) centered around five mutually-agreed upon targeted issues. The five tenants of the CWLA are: infant and maternal mortality; the Domestic Relations Bill; sexual offenses; human trafficking; and the East African Charter. To build UWOPA’s capacity to effectively promote the CWLA and serve as a resource to women activists and members of parliament (MPs), NDI implemented a series of targeted technical assistance activities including: organizing a series of targeted trainings to build the legislative capacity of women MPs and widening the women’s rights network through a series of roundtable discussions. Additionally, NDI worked with members of UWOPA to conduct constituency outreach events in their districts. These events enabled women MPs to discuss CWLA issues with local elected, religious and traditional leaders to form a multi-level strategy to more effectively address critical issues. Activities to strengthen CSOs’ ability to more effectively advocate on priority legislative issues for women’s rights have included: capacity-building training and technical assistance on issue advocacy, public awareness and outreach, and monitoring governmental performance related to women’s rights; and small grants to CSOs to assist them in their efforts to advocate for CWLA priority issues.
With additional support the Institute plans to build on its successes by supporting women-led organizations as they address the challenges posed by the reconciliation process in northern Uganda. Assistance will be provided with the goals of: 1) enhancing the ability of CSOs to more effectively advocate on priority legislative issues for women’s rights as detailed in the CWLA; and 2) fostering a network of mutual support and expertise among Ugandan CSOs so they present a more unified voice in advocating to safeguard women’s rights during the reintegration and reconciliation process.
Contact Information
For further information on our programs in Uganda, please contact:
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