Ugandan Women’s Movement…but is there an International Women’s Movement?

Check out the four different flags Uganda has had over the years

The mayhem of turning 50 has begun for Uganda! This is a first for me, I’m used to hearing about founding fathers (and mothers), watching a documentary on some elderly men wearing make up and wigs speak of the enlightenment period which was greatly influenced by Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” and many other enlightenment period thinkers. But this independence celebration is so different! There wasn't any mention of the colonial period or imperialism, but the struggle for rights through the past 50 years.The transition of power from one leader to another, and much talk about the current state of the country. But Ugandans are so happy to be turning 50! Infact, I began celebrating by attending the Ugandan women’s movement conference on Friday morning. That was quite interesting to listen to and attend because the U.S. doesn’t have a women’s movement any more…so to speak. Of course, we have feminist and women’s rights advocates, but the movement isn’t organized with a set agenda such as the Ugandan Women’s Movement. There was so much discussion about getting a female president, something that was a hot topic in the 2008 election with Hillary R. Clinton. But I kept questioning while listening to all of these strong women, is their society ready for a strong female president? I know the U.S. wasn’t ready for various reasons, but could it be possible for a country like Uganda to have it’s first female president after Museveni? Or even its first female chief justice?

A lot of their struggles are just the same as American women’s problems, child care availability and affordable health care. Women’s health, women’s right to choose (not abortion, that is actually illegal and it says so in the constitution, but rather to choose her relations with men), and of course, female education and eliminating domestic violence. But I think the feminist of the U.S. can learn something from the feminist of Uganda. They are so united in Uganda and all of East Africa to be honest. It was quite inspiring! I even ran into another American at the conference and she agreed with me that the women’s movement in the U.S. was non-existent because there are so many negative connotations with being a feminist. Perhaps that is something that the younger generations can work on as time goes forward in the U.S. But here in Uganda, the young females are on fire for equality and so were the older women.

What shocked me was that there was even a Uganda’s Women’s Anthem! My favorite part of the song is the chorus:

Mothers, Daughters

All women every where

Stand up and embrace

Your role today

I think that line to should be the Internationals Women’s Movement anthem! Women all over the world shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for their rights. We’re all in this together. And if you see another sister being abused or mistreated, don’t sit there and ignore the issue, that’s what I took away from this women’s conference. There are times when we can’t look to the government or the U.N. to help us, sometimes, the most powerful tool is ourselves. It was just such an inspiration to see the Ugandan women from all over the country come together for one cause. I think many causes could benefit from the Ugandan Women’s Movement model.