CSOs urged to address negative societal norms
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Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)and other development agencies have been called upon to intensify efforts to end negative social norms and promote positive social change.
This was a key message at the conclusion of the third Annual East African Learning Collaborative (EALC) Conference, held at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
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Organized by CARE International Uganda, the conference brought together stakeholders from across the East African region and other parts of Africa to discuss strategies for addressing harmful cultural practices and advancing gender equality.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development’s Commissioner for Gender and Women Affairs, Dr. Angela Nakafeero, emphasized the critical role of CSOs in shaping society’s perception and behavior.
Dr. Nakafeero expressed gratitude for the theme, noting that it aligns perfectly with the ongoing 16 Days of Activism, which emphasizes the importance of gender equality.
She observed that in Uganda, various communities have distinct social norms, with some being positive but the majority being negative. She emphasized the need for concerted efforts to promote positive social change.
"When we reflect on social norms, there's a lot to learn and unlearn, for us in Uganda, different communities have different social norms, some are positive, majority are negative, even those that we look at to be positive, really when you go deeper in studying this social norms, you will find that there are elements of negative aspects and in both cases, discriminating against women and girls," she said.
Ministry of Gender's Dr. Angela Nakafeero.
Dr. Nakafeero highlighted weak enforcement as a challenge, noting that despite laws against harmful practices like female genital mutilation, such inhumane acts persist in some parts of Uganda.
"We find ourselves with very enabling laws and policies. Enforcement is becoming a challenge, mainly because we've not tackled the negative social norms. I want to give an example of genital mutilation, is outlawed. That was in 2010. We are now in 2024 but female genital mutilation is still ongoing and people find ways of circumventing the law, and continue to practice."
The commissioner noted that social norms significantly impact human capital development, influencing it both positively and negatively
. She cited the example of coffee farming in western Uganda, where women face discrimination.
"You've seen the result of coffee growing in Uganda. In Western Uganda, you find that coffee alone has so many embedded social norms because coffee growing discriminates against women, Yet women and children, provide the most labour when it comes to growing or agriculture in Uganda," Dr. Nakafeero said.
She explained that harmful social norms, such as female genital mutilation and inequitable resource allocation, have contributed to poverty.
Dr.Nakafeero noted that women are often discriminated against during harvest time, despite contributing significantly through their labor during production.
"Where you find women who are really doing the production being discriminated against when it comes to the benefits really know that very well, that production is not sustainable. So if you want to start talking about sustainable human capital development. We need to tackle our negative social norms, values and practices."
Dr. Aramanzan Madanda, the Senior Gender Technical Advisor at Care International Uganda.
She commended Care International Uganda, Makerere School of Gender, Impact Innovations Agency for Development Centre(IIDC), USAID, and the University of California for their efforts in promoting social change in Uganda. She urged them to continue conducting research and taking action to eliminate harmful social norms.
The commissioner expressed the government's commitment, particularly through the Ministry of Gender and Social Development, to promoting positive social norm changes.
The conference featured presentations and discussions on 32 topics, with participants sharing research findings and recommendations across various areas.
They highlighted the importance of collaborative approaches and leveraging grassroots networks to promote sustainable change.
During his presentation, Ivan Odongo, a natural resource economist, highlighted the inequitable access to natural resources, noting that men own 93% of land while women own only 7%.
He attributed this disparity to cultural norms that prevent women from being heirs and called for equitable access to land for women.
"In aspects of access to land, it has been evident that statistics say that 7% of land is owned by women. That is a very drastic difference as far as what should be actually owned by women. So what that means that the remaining percentage belongs to men. That is a direct indicator of inequity in access to natural resources."
He called for involvement of women in natural resources management.
Dr. Aramanzan Madanda, the Senior Gender Technical Advisor at Care International Uganda, thanked both in-person and online participants for their engagement and contributions during the two-day conference.
