Forum for Women in Democracy

The FOWODE Women in Politics Conference opens at Speke Resort Munyonyo, 14^th June 2010.

Her Excellence Johnson Sirleaf the President of Liberia and the first female president on the African continent officially opened the conference this morning via satellite. She hailed Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) for the tremendous effort in advocating for gender equality in decision making.

The President acknowledged the Uganda government’s achievements in the advancement of women’s issues but cautioned that as Uganda prepares for the elections in 2011, political parties should promote transformative leadership and encourage women to participate in the democratic processes of Uganda. She stressed that there is an urgent need for women to move from uncritical support on the basis of blind loyalty to genuine engagement with issues at the heart of the Ugandan people such as democracy and good governance, equality, respect for human rights, justice for all and so on. “Women can be a force to reckon with especially in view of their numbers and are key in the endeavour to ensuring democratic governance as they bring energy, legitimacy and genuineness into politics and it is imperative that women use these numbers to ensure that their needs, priorities and interests are catered for, stated the President of Liberia.

This morning participants listened to Hon. Martha Karua a Kenyan Member of Parliament and Political Party Leader. She shared her own experiences in politics and called on women to fight all odds to succeed in politics. Martha mentioned that she has been an MP for 15 years and she is preparing to stand for presidency in the next Kenyan Elections.

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