- This is to improve the quality of life of all Ugandans.
Image: Alice Lubwama
The chairperson equal opportunity commission Safia Nalule Jjuuko has asked all district local government planners and gender focal persons to incorporate gender and equity perspectives at all levels of planning and budgeting ,in order to improve the quality of life of all Ugandans.
Speaking at the capacity building training on gender and equity planning and budgeting for local government planners and gender focal persons from central and Busoga regions in Kampala,Nalule said that districts still deny women, girls,youth, older persons and people living with disabilities an opportunity to benefit from Government programs.
"I urgue you the local government district planners to raise awareness on gender and equity planning and budgeting as a development concept and approach development planning"she said
Image: Alice Lubwama
"The commission knows that districts still face a number of challenges that deny people especially the women and girls,persons with disabilities,youths, old people among other marginalized groups an opportunity to benefit from the various government programmes such as the parish development model"
.''There's affirmative action for example in PDM, where by 30% goes to young people, 30 %to women and 10% to the persons living with disabilities, but you find that in some of the local Governments money is not allocated according to the guidelines"Nalule noted .
She said that the commission is going to begin assessing the Gender and equity compliance in local Governments but before doing so they had to first train the district planners the importance of gender and equity planning.
. The EqualOpportunities Commission is the sole agency of government charged with the responsibilities of assessing ministries,departments and agencies plans and budgets to ensure there are gender and equity compliant.
After the assessment the commission advise the ministry of finance,planning and economic development to issue a certificate of gender and equity compliance to the MDAS.
The certificate of gender and equity compliance has been a major contributor to the realization of the transformation agenda,nationally and internationally where all categories of people participate and benefit from the Government programs thus conforming to the sustainable development goal (SDG) of leaving no one behind.
She said that the training was convened in accordance with the commission's mandate of eliminating discrimination and inequalities against any individual or group of persons on grounds of sex,age,race,color,ethnic origin,tribe among others and taking affirmative action in favor of marginalized groups