General
GREAT Project 4th Course on Gender Responsive Breeding Attracts India, Thailand Teams
The GREAT Project has opened its 4th training and General course on gender responsive plant breeding attracting more men and other participants beyond Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) is a 5 year (2015-2020) Makerere University (Uganda) and Cornell University (USA) joint certificate program in applied gender training for agricultural researchers funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It offers skills in gender-responsive research tailored to assisting agricultural researchers to address gender issues along the design, implementation, evaluation, and communication pathway of their research projects.
At Makerere University, the project is jointly implemented by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the School of Women and Gender Studies (SWGS). The project has been operational for the past three years.
Week 1 of the fourth training was officially opened by Makerere University’s GREAT Project PI Prof. Margaret Najjingo Mangheni at the Forest Cottages in Bukoto-Kampala on 22nd July 2019.
The training brought together social scientists and plant breeders from East, West and South Africa as well as Asia. The participants included research teams from India, Thailand, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Prof. Mangheni said, the GREAT Project has been in operation for the last three years where three cohorts have been trained in different commodities.
“The first one was focusing on breeders doing work on root tubers and bananas. The second one was on cereal grains and the third one was on legumes.
This year, we have opened up so that we are working with breeding programs focusing on a whole range of crops not restricted to a commodity. But still, they are coming as an interdisciplinary team of social scientists working with a breeder on a breeding program.” The PI explained.
Prof. Mangheni said the goal of the trainings is to strengthen the capacity of these research teams to be able to conceptualize, design, implement and communicate gender responsive research within a breeding program.
This year, the course attracted more men than women with other participants coming from as far as India.
“Actually we are excited with this cohort because we have been able to broaden the reach of GREAT. Initially, we were targeting Sub-Saharan Africa but when we sent out the call for applications, it attracted a broad range beyond the anticipated target catchment area of SSA.
We have a team for this course from the World Vegetable Centre (Worldveg) South Asia/Central Asia based in Hyderabad India working on Mechanised Mungbean Harvesting in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan and they have come in to train alongside the SSA research counterparts,” Prof. Mangheni explained.
She said the GREAT Project is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation but the model had inbuilt models for sustainability so that progressively, the funding by the project decreases and the funding from participants increases.
“We hope that next year we shall run a course that is 100 percent funded by participants based on demand. This time, we have seen a significant increased level of funding from participants themselves, self-supported teams but we are also funding some participants from the project, so it is a mix”. Prof. Mangheni said.
In her key message Prof. Mangheni emphasized that Gender responsiveness needs to be the norm in terms of breeding.
“The emphasis we have is that when we breed varieties, we send them out there through the seed system and we need to be cautious about stakeholders and cultural context from which they come and; this cultural context shapes and positions men and women differently and if one is not paying due attention to these socio-cultural contexts, you may end up causing unintended harm,” Mangheni explained
The nine day training program focuses on different aspects including Gender concepts and why gender matters in Agriculture, What men and masculinity have to do with gender and agriculture, Why gender matters in plant breeding, Positionality, The science of gender and plant breeding, Principles of quantitative gender research,
Quantitative gender analysis plan, Setting breeding priorities, and Qualitative gender research methods, mixed methods and practical sessions on interviewing techniques and Field case studies among others.
The courses are being delivered by a team of over 15 facilitators from Makerere University’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), the School of Women and Gender studies, staff from collaborative research institution, and consultants from abroad.
“I am very excited to deliver the gender responsive course which is this time broadened in approach compared to the previous ones that we held focusing on specific commodities.
This time it is breeding of different types of commodities. We don’t want to leave any one behind in the breeding world. We have brought most people on board, those breeding tomatoes, beans, maize, cowpeas and animal breeding commodities.
This is our fourth year of the course and we hope we shall harness the opportunities and knowledge brought from the commodity-based training now to this broad spectrum,” Dr. Brenda Bonabaana from the CAES Department of Forestry Biodiversity and Tourism, CAES narrated.
She was proud of the high diversity of the current cohort saying, the course was becoming more demanded with more participants from West, South and East Africa than before.
Dr. Bonabaana who is also an Associate Coordinator of GREAT project will be delivering sessions on principles of qualitative and quantitative gender research with a focus on data collection methods and tools, session on women empowerment and also coordinating the mentorship program.
Delivering on gender concepts and why gender matters in agriculture, Dr Peace Musimenta from the School of Women and Gender Studies described gender as development issue adding that Human Development, if not engendered, is endangered.
She noted that women’s domination or exclusion from participation in agricultural opportunities raises gender issues in agriculture as a sector in as far as the division of labour, land ownership and control, decision making and agricultural marketing and irrigation are concerned.
“Agriculture is the backbone of many economies of the developing countries…if women had access to the same productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%.This could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12-17 % .
Women compared to men are 10 times likely to invest more of their earnings in their families’ well-being,” Dr. Musimenta asserted.
She said although many women depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, they face numerous gender based constraints or barriers such as unpaid care work, stereotypes, low education, discriminatory laws e.g on land, limited access to productive resources, limited mobility and inability to make independent decisions. She advised gender responsive researchers to strive for rigorous gender focused research.
“Aim at conceptual clarity, achieve greater precision in terminology, collect data carefully and accurately, avoid stereotypes; build the evidence base, and recognise that gender equality is good for communities, families, women and men, is key to achieving sustainable development,” Dr. Musimenta advised.
Speaking on Gender and Agricultural Development and what men and masculinities have got to do with it, Dr. Amon Ashaba Mwiine from the School of Women and Gender Studies said men are unavoidably involved in gender concerns including control of equitable resources, decision making and being custodians of traditional knowledge.
“Some forms of masculinities can be harmful to men and women and detrimental to development. The subordination of women and other men, the desire to control agricultural technologies, marketing, networks, information, proceeds and men withdrawing labor from agricultural production raises gender concerns”. Dr. Mwiine said.
The don emphasized the need for gender responsive researchers to involve men in their research programs to realize gender equitable development.
“Expectations, attributes, behaviors and roles associated with men can hinder or promote agricultural innovations. In your research outputs, technologies and interventions, consider men’s ways of living and relationships, Dr. Mwiine advised.
About the GREAT theme Four training
The course has three components: Week 1 of classroom work (22-31 July 2019) and Field work with support from Field trainers.
Week 2 of classroom work will take place on 13-17 January 2020. The course includes a variety of applied learning activities.
During Week 1, each participating team will complete a plan for data collection to be conducted in their field site for analysis during Week 2 of the course.
At the end of Week 1, participants are expected to come up with a Gender research question related to participants’ projects, a sampling framework and design, draft data collection methods and tools, a Research plan and timeline and a draft budget for the field research grant
During the Field Training Phase, participants are expected to come up with Qualitative and quantitative data sets to be analyzed during Week 2.
During Week 2 participants will write a Seed grant proposal. For teams selected for seed grants, a detailed timeline and budget for ensuing work will be submitted.
Funding for the fieldwork phase will be supported by teams’ research projects, except one team. The cost is about $1000.
Teams will develop the fieldwork concept and tools progressively during the course and the final product presented on Day 9 for trainers’ feedback. Teams will present a well thought out research plan covering the Brief contextual background and the Case Study description.
Competitive research grants of $5000-10,000 for each of the top three teams or individual participants will be available post Week 2.
Evaluation based on criteria will be shared during the course. Field trainers will support in completing seed grant research work, and publication of outputs.
Two social scientist who have demonstrated competency and have an interest in further developing their gender research skills will be selected as GREAT Gender Fellows (GGFs) at the end of Week 2: Other opportunities include professional mentorship and additional research funding and getting positions on the GREAT CoP Advisory Board.
Report compiled by:
Jane Anyango,
Principal Communication Officer, CAES
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
General
Makerere University Leads EU-Funded MAGNETISE Project to Strengthen Gender Equality in Higher Education Across Sub-Saharan Africa
A consortium of African and European universities has intensified efforts to mainstream gender equality in higher education through the MAGNETISE project, with Makerere University taking a leading role in hosting a high-level workshop that brought together policymakers, researchers, and gender experts to reflect on institutional progress, persistent gaps, and future strategies.
The initiative, focused on Mainstreaming Gender in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (MAGNETISE), is supported by the European Union and implemented through a multi-country partnership involving institutions in Uganda, South Africa, and Europe. It aims to move beyond policy formulation to practical implementation, monitoring, and institutional accountability in gender equality.
At the heart of the discussions was a shared concern: while universities across the region have developed gender policies over the past decades, translating these frameworks into measurable, lived institutional change remains uneven.
A Consortium Approach to Gender Mainstreaming in Academia
Opening the workshop, held at Makerere University recently, the project lead, Professor James Acai Okwee who is also deputy Principal CoVAB, described MAGNETISE as a collaborative effort designed to strengthen institutional capacity for gender equality planning across higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He explained that the consortium includes Ugandan partners such as Makerere University and Muni University, alongside South African institutions including University of KwaZulu-Natal, Rhodes University, and Nelson Mandela University. European partners include Katholieke Hoge school VIVES Zuid (VIVES) and KMOP Policy Centre from Belgium, as well as Research Innovation and Development Lab (ReadLab) and University of Peloponnese. The consortium also includes additional European academic collaboration through the University of Applied Sciences and related policy and research networks.
According to Acai, the core objective is not simply to produce policies, but to ensure universities develop functional gender equality plans supported by implementation tools, monitoring frameworks, and institutional accountability systems.
“We have had policies since the early 2000s, but the real question is: where is the implementation plan, and how do we track progress?” he noted. “If a policy says 40 percent representation for women in leadership, we must be able to measure whether that is being achieved.”
He emphasized that MAGNETISE would support training, capacity-building exchanges with European institutions, student engagement programmes, and the development of a digital knowledge hub for gender equality.
Makerere University’s Institutional Position on Gender Equality
Representing university leadership, Dr. Suzan Mbabazi of Makerere University’s Gender Mainstreaming Directorate reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to advancing gender equality across its academic, research, and community engagement mandate. She highlighted significant progress made over more than two decades, citing policies such as the Gender Equality Policy and the Regulations Against Sexual Harassment, alongside governance frameworks that have institutionalized gender equity. Makerere has also established key structures, including the Institute of Gender and Development Studies and the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, to coordinate initiatives across faculties. Yet, Dr. Mbabazi cautioned that structural achievements do not erase systemic challenges. “Despite progress globally and locally, we must acknowledge persistent gaps, biases, and inequalities within higher education institutions,” she said, stressing the need to bridge policy and practice. She urged participants to prioritize awareness creation, institutional analysis of existing gaps, and deliberate action to dismantle structural barriers. Reaffirming management’s support, she called for continued collaboration among institutions and stakeholders to sustain momentum in gender mainstreaming.
Preliminary Survey Findings Reveal Mixed Progress
Presenting the initial findings of a university-wide survey, Dr. Peace Musiimenta of the School of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University revealed that responses from 82 participants across various units highlight both progress and persistent challenges in advancing gender equality. While many acknowledged strides in gender mainstreaming, structural and cultural barriers remain entrenched. The study found that although gender policies exist, their implementation is often inconsistent, and initiatives risk being treated as isolated projects rather than integrated institutional practices. Dr. Musiimenta noted that some staff perceive gender programs as overly focused on women, fueling resistance and ideological tensions within academic spaces. She emphasized that the challenge is no longer the absence of policy but the need to ensure visibility, ownership, and effective application of existing frameworks to embed gender equality across the institution.
Gender Audit Highlights Structural Gaps and Progress
Expanding on the institutional audit, Dr. Florence Ebila outlined the methodology and preliminary findings of the gender audit conducted between May and June 2026.She explained that the audit examined institutional policies, governance systems, practices, organizational culture, and perceptions of gender equality.
The study drew data from multiple administrative units including human resources, academic registrars, estates and works departments, and student leadership structures. Ebila reported that Makerere University has made significant institutional progress, including the establishment of gender-focused units and integration of gender considerations into teaching, research, and governance. However, she identified persistent disparities in representation, particularly in science-related disciplines where male staff and students remain dominant.
She also highlighted infrastructural gaps, noting that while newer buildings are increasingly accessible, several older facilities lack adequate support for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Another concern raised was limited gender-responsive budgeting, with insufficient allocation of resources to sustain gender mainstreaming activities across all units. “The challenge is not just policy design, but operationalization at all levels of the institution,” she said.
Gender, Identity, and Institutional Culture: A Critical Reflection
A keynote reflection by Dr Josephine Ahikire introduced a deeper theoretical lens to the discussion, situating gender mainstreaming within broader questions of institutional power, identity, and cultural norms.
Ahikire emphasized that gender mainstreaming is not a technical exercise but a structural transformation process that challenges entrenched systems of privilege.
She used the example of Makerere University’s centenary monument, where a male graduate is prominently positioned in front view while a female graduate is placed at the rear, to illustrate how symbolic representations can reflect deeper institutional biases.
“What appears natural often hides embedded inequality,” she argued. “Even symbolic structures matter because they reflect how institutions imagine gender.”
Ahikire acknowledged Makerere University’s progress in policy development and institutional frameworks but cautioned that deeper cultural transformation is still required.
She emphasized the need to interrogate curriculum design, research systems, and informal institutional practices that may perpetuate inequality despite formal commitments to inclusion.
She further argued that gender discourse must retain its political dimension, noting that terms such as feminism should not be avoided but engaged critically in order to address structural inequality.
“Gender equality work is not about comfort,” she said. “It is about questioning established norms and rethinking how power is distributed.”
Institutional Achievements and Remaining Challenges
Across presentations, several common themes emerged.
Participants acknowledged that Makerere University has developed one of the most advanced gender mainstreaming frameworks in the region, including:
- A dedicated gender equality policy framework
- Sexual harassment regulations and safeguarding policies
- Institutional gender mainstreaming structures
- Student engagement programmes and gender clubs
- Scholarships supporting women in science and disadvantaged backgrounds
- Increasing integration of gender into teaching and research
However, speakers consistently highlighted persistent challenges, including:
- Limited implementation of gender policies at departmental level
- Uneven representation of women in senior academic ranks
- Infrastructure gaps affecting accessibility and inclusion
- Weak gender-responsive budgeting mechanisms
- Resistance and misunderstanding of gender equality concepts
- Fragmentation of gender work across isolated units
Towards a Comprehensive Gender Equality Plan
A key outcome of the MAGNETISE project is the development of a comprehensive institutional gender equality plan for Makerere University, supported by monitoring tools and a sustainability framework.
The plan is expected to consolidate existing policies into a coherent implementation strategy, linking institutional commitments to measurable outcomes.
It will also include a handbook for monitoring gender equality initiatives and a digital platform for knowledge sharing among students and staff.
Project leaders emphasized that sustainability will depend on institutional ownership beyond donor funding, particularly through integration into university governance systems.
A Continuing Institutional Journey
The workshop concluded with a shared recognition that gender equality in higher education remains a work in progress, requiring sustained institutional commitment, cultural transformation, and accountability mechanisms.
While Makerere University has made notable progress over the past decades, speakers agreed that the next phase of gender mainstreaming must focus on implementation, visibility, and structural change.
As the MAGNETISE project continues across partner institutions in Africa and Europe, it positions itself not only as a research initiative, but as a long-term institutional reform effort aimed at reshaping how universities understand and operationalize gender equality in higher education.
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