UGANDA

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Uganda’s most recent NAP (its third) runs from 2021-2025.  There is no indication as to when it will be updated beyond 2025.

‍Objectives/Aims of the 2021-2025 NAP:

The overall goal of NAP III is to ensure sustained peace and security through enhanced meaningful participation of women in peace and development processes.

Specifically, NAP III aims to:

1. Prevent all forms of violence and promote peace within families, communities and the nation

2. Promote meaningful participation of women in leadership and governance at all levels

3. Strengthen the capacity of women to mitigate and prevent natural and human made disasters

4. Strengthen the institutional and coordination mechanism for WPS agenda at all levels

‍Commentary:

Each of the above four objectives is supported by a set of strategic interventions to be implemented, and a table of anticipated medium term outputs and outcomes which will ease monitoring and evaluation of the NAP.  

Uganda has a long history of civil war and continues to face ongoing internal conflict, armed insurgency and elections related violence. Women and girls are particularly targeted by the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in them, and disperse or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group.

Uganda has domesticated global gender normative frameworks and standards, and is committed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 5 (Gender equality), Goal 16 (Peaceful, just and inclusive society).  Uganda also has had a clearly articulated National Gender Policy since 2007. Uganda is cognizant of the importance of women and has prioritized their protection in several other national laws and policies with provisions that protect women.

The Report on progress of the Women and Security Agenda by the UN Secretary-General in September 2024 highlights the work being undertaken on their WPS NAP by the Uganda government, noting that the country’s application of gender-responsive budgeting resulted in allocated government funds to support its implementation.  The Report also noted that Uganda was among those which sought to integrate climate considerations in application of the NAP.  This was supported by development and implementation of local action plans, and that in Uganda 4 out of 13 districts with local action plans have allocated 1% of their local district budgets to implementing these plans.

‍Civil Society’s involvement in development of NAP III:

Civil society organisations are highlighted as having been key contributors to the NAP.  During the drafting process nine consultative meetings were held with over 520 representatives, of which 274 were women.  The NAP also commits the Government to a “localisation process” entailing “a people-based, bottom-up strategy that enhances local ownership and participation for more effective policymaking and implementation.

There is a strong partnership between the Government and CSOs who provide expertise on WPS.  CSO’s, faith based organisations, and traditional cultural leaders are given specific tasks to undertake in implementation of the NAP (p33).

‍UN Peacekeeping Basic Statistics:

In January 2025, Uganda contributed a total of 656 peacekeeping personnel.

‍Women’s Role in Peacekeeping:

The NAP has an entire section devoted to women’s representation in the police, although there is no mention of promoting their involvement in the armed forces and only a sentence about a rise of the number of women in their peacekeeping contingent. Instead, the NAP highlights transitional justice, conflict resolution, land management committees, and election tribunals as forums in which women’s participation should be supported. Furthermore, the NAP seeks to promote women’s leadership and decision-making in security institutions, but which institutions are never specified.

‍References:

Uganda WPS NAP 2021-2025:  Uganda-NAP-3-2021-2025.pdf (wpsnaps.org)

Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (Jan 2025): www.peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/03_country_and_mission_82_january_2025.pdf 

Uganda Gender Policy (2007): The Uganda Gender Policy (2007). | Land Portal

Report of the UN Secretary-General on progress of the WPS Agenda, Sept 2024 is at: S- www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/S-2024-671.pdf 

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