The widening inequality gap between men and women in Uganda

We have come from afar as a country in regards to women equality and more still needs to be done to address the underlying causes of inequality across genders which are rooted at the household.The youth of all genders must work together to reduce inequality.

The role of a man in a family is to provide abundantly, this ranges from security, food, happiness …and the role of a woman is to love- by to love is to do whatever pleases the man” says Atwine (Pseudonym) an Auditor,

He adds that men have more stake in family for the fact that in most instances women come and join them in their houses so in return the wife is expected to be submissive.

After generations of advocating for a girl child, little has changed at the family unit.Does it mean that when a woman gets into a committed relationship they have to compromise to do the things they didn’t do while they were single? Why is there a double standard?

Women too like happy hour! We enjoy quality time with our friends and can afford to come home late in the night drank and hungry, we like to stay away from home but it sacrifice to be able to compromise to make a relationship work and we expect respect from our men to support the partnership of our reunion.

I remember growing up in Bushenyi district, knowing what as a young girl was expected to do. I followed my sister’s lead on the daily house chores and whenever my mum was not around, my sisters would be in charge of the kitchen.

We are a family of four girls and one boy. which meant that during holidays my brother had the freedom to go play soccer or cinema with his friends. All he had to do was tell my parents that he would be away in the afternoon or the whole day. What he did was up to him!

Us on the other side if we were to do anything we would ask for permission. sometimes it entailed asking a friend’s parent to come and ask your parents on your behalf to be able to play or go for sleep over or do something out door.

Why is there need to classify girls to household chores and boy are independent to whatever they want? I have been told that there is a difference between being a woman and being a wife.

Being a wife means carrying the extra budden of the spouse. Being a woman : all wives are women but not all women are wives” Says Jacqueline (Pseudonym) a communications specialist,

There are unwritten ground rules of roles of women and Men in society that even though women are struggling with the underlying causes of poverty and their empowerment; The inequality that is is nurtured as they are children sets the standard on how both the men and women see their roles in relationships as well as family.

Often a conversation about men and women roles in our society often has references to the past generations and how our parents have defined and separated roles by gender but aren’t we human beings first? How can we claim that our society respects women when the inequality is very evident at a family unit?

And every day — you have to justify why you make the choices you make that doesn’t concern the public but people feel entitled to ask you anyways:

We both have the duty to educate one another on what is right and what’s wrong. 21 century has offered us exposure that didn’t exist and today roles at family level should be shared equally among the partners, men should be able to prepare meals and be more inclusive in their children’s upbringing and not expect that their woman to carry the burden of taking care of the house.

How do we change the mindset of burdening a woman , a wife in Africa today? What are you doing to bridge this gap?