Theme: Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID19 World
2020 was a challenging year. Uganda faced a number of natural disasters including a desert locust infestation; mud and land slides resulting from heavy torrential rains; that also triggered flooding around areas of Uganda’s fresh water bodies. These alone left thousands displaced and without a place to call home, shelter or garden of food. At the heart of these tragedies, the Covid 19 Pandemic peaked on, forcing a global lock down period. This period alone exacerbated women’s vulnerabilities to further marginalization, violence and abuse. And yet, through these uncertain times, women rose and continue to rise, protecting their families and the environment, challenging gender biases and taking action for equality.
This year’s theme in celebrating Women, focuses on Women in leadership. As MEMPROW, in the same spirit, we want to shine a light and celebrate those women in position of leadership at the grassroots, those that sacrificed the comfort of their homes to sleep at market stalls feeding the nation; those taking on teacher’s roles, in educating the next generation, those quarantined in hospitals nursing the sick back to health, those as members of the forces ensuring there is law and order in the communities, those representing women and promoting the women agenda at tables of decision making. Through out the month of March, we will share stories of such women leaders and women achievements; especially those women that choose to challenge the state of affairs due to the pandemic, those challenging gender bias and taking action for equality. You are our front line Sheroes. MEMPROW re-echoes the UNDP call to harness the power of women’s leadership to realise a more equal, more inclusive and more sustainable future.
