Challenges faced in creating equity in the working world of women

By Stella Nassuna

The fight for equity in the working world of women has been going on since the 18th century. On September 19, 1893, New Zealand women became the first to be granted the right to vote, shortly after the British Member of Parliament, John Stuart Mill, pressed for women’s right to vote in parliament in 1869.

It was after 1910 that the move to bring about equity in the working world of women started to spread across the world.

By March 19, 1911, working women successfully organised a day to celebrate women achievements and continued to press for their rights. This gave birth to the International Women’s Day on March 8, — a day currently observed by all women in the world.

In Uganda, Women’s Day was first observed in 1984 and by 1991 it was declared a public holiday. The day is intended to bring equality, peace and development in the social, political religious and economic arena of women.

Many women are still marginalised and unfairly treated compared to their male counterparts.

Economic factor
According to the research report conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), State of the World Population report, rural women are responsible for about 60% to 80% of food production in developing countries, yet female farmers are often underestimated and overlooked in agricultural policies and strategies.

A mother tends to her baby while working

Regina Bataki, the executive director, Action for Development Coalition for Political Accountability to Women (ACFODE), says most Ugandan rural women are economically dependent on men.

“Women lack access and control to factors of production especially land. This is why most women carry out farming at subsistence level,” Bataki says.

Society and culture resistance
However, Noor Muhidin, the co-ordinator of short courses in the department of woman and gender studies at Makerere University, says poverty among women and unequal distribution of resources in the agriculture sector is brought about by the society and culture resistances that still exist today.

Muhidin agrees with Bataki that some African women are not allowed to own land.
“It is only today that you will find a woman freely purchasing land, unlike in the old days where she had to get a man to help her buy land in his name,” Bataki says.
“Women have been singled out as the poorest in the world. This is the fault of the unfair world women live in,” Muhidin says.

He says to deny a woman the freedom to own land is like asking her to be poor.
With land, people can do many productive and income generating activities like putting up commercial infrastructures and farming.

Socialisation scope
Muhidini also blames society for taking some issues lightly, yet they contribute to failed equity realisation in the working world of Ugandan women.

“Have you wondered why a mother will buy a boy sophisticated toys like cars but just simple dolls and bears for the girl? This is one way of saying cars (power) belongs to men while taking care of babies and the home is for women,” he adds.

Social factors

Bataki says the unfair attitude that society is still carrying on in Uganda challenges the creation of equity in the women’s working world.

“Even if a woman has been educated, she will still find a problem of being placed into some powerful work positions simply because bosses believe the position is better managed by a man,” she adds.

Muhidin says in Buganda a woman is supposed to visit ssengas (paternal aunts) to be groomed on behaviour during marriage, yet we have not heard of men visiting the ssenga.
“This lifestyle places a woman in a more disadvantaged spot while the man remains advantaged,” he adds.

As a result, a man forcefully refrains his wife from working even when qualified.

Employment barriers
“A woman has multiple roles. For example, she takes care of the home as well as working. As a result, this multi-tasking might cost her a promotion or pay raise due to her failure to balance her office work with domestic roles at home,” Bataki notes.

She blames the prolonged legislation process for the failed realisation of equity in the working world of women.

“Girls lack the knowledge of marketable science courses. This ignorance has pushed them out of competetion giving boys favourable platform to take on these good jobs,” Bataki adds.

“Failure to permanently phase out corruption from the Ugandan community is also another problem,” she says.

Bataki adds that some women have to sexually submit to their bosses or interview panelists in order to get special treatment at the work places.

She also says some women lack knowledge about their employment rights.

“Most women have no idea of about employment manual. This is where the Government should come in to sensitise the women and readily avail them with access to the Employment Act. That way, unfairness can slowly die out,” she advises.

“If the Government makes the Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) operational then most of the equity problems may be solved. ACFODE and other organisations in 2007 advocated for EOC in order to bring about equity in the working world of both men and women,” Bataki reveals.