The disempowerment of women involves factors that influence every aspect of their lives, birthing deep oppression, victimization, and sometimes violence. Empowerment means involvement in decision-making and control over resources for being able to achieve a higher quality of life, and also improving the capability for taking advantage of the opportunities for development, provided by the system. Within the Uganda context, the root causes of disempowerment are embodied in the following, among others: —
- Limited access to opportunities – Women are underrepresented in decision-making roles in the coffee value chain, not due to lack of qualification, but because of gender bias.
- Limited access to resources – Many women in Uganda cannot own or co-own land. Families often prioritize boys in inheritance and education, contributing to generational disempowerment of women.
- Unfair distribution of income – Although women contribute significantly to production, men typically control and manage household earnings.
- Lack of recognition – Women’s contributions are often overlooked, with credit frequently given to men in male-dominated communities.
- Gender-based violence – Women and girls face violence, including murder, rape, abduction, and trafficking, which further limits their social and economic participation.
Women empowerment, especially from the economic point of view is one of the top priorities of the IWCA Uganda Chapter. The purpose is to enable women to gain control over the sources of power, especially economically and socially, through awareness raising and capacity building, leading to greater participation in the decision-making process, control and transformative action.
