Humanities & Social Sciences
ICGSA 2022 Sets the Pace for Re-Imagining Future of Gender Studies
The International Conference on Gender Studies in Africa (ICGSA) closed on a high note on Friday 25th February, 2022 with resolutions on how to champion Gender Studies on the African continent. These called for the need to; theorise from the African context, network across the academia at local level, teach better, conduct more research and mentorship, as well as network more between academia and the field of practice in Africa and internationally.
“Networking across the academy on the continent is very important” emphasised Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Dean, School of Women and Gender Studies (SWGS), Makerere University. “We have been able to inspire many other gender units to come up on the African continent; the current one being worked on is with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which is being spearheaded by Dr. Tabitha Mulyampiti,” she added.
Other resolutions shared by Assoc. Prof. Ssali included the need to build a community of practice comprised of teachers and practitioners at the continental level as well as document and archive more in order to build memories.
“This is one of the things that is lacking heavily in Africa not just in Gender Studies but all over; we are constantly researching because we don’t know what those before us did. This creates a problem in that the memories become fractured,” she explained.
To help galvanise all these aspirations, ICGSA 2022 resolved to establish a Pan-African feminist network for Women and Gender Studies. “This is supposed to be a platform that is going to bring together the 500+ Gender Scholars and those yet to come, to build a better community of practice, academia and take the discipline further” Assoc. Prof. Ssali added.
The resolutions shared by the Dean tied in nicely with those of fellow panelist Prof. Shefer Tamara, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa, as well as those of Prof. Joy Kwesiga, Vice Chancellor, Kabale University who chaired the Fifth and final Plenary Panel on The Future of Gender Studies in Africa.
Prof. Kwesiga in her presentation themed The Door is only Ajar made a few propositions to help Gender Studies Open the Door Fully, and Enter the Corridors of Power and Equity. These included;
- The need to acknowledge that Gender Studies are varied and their enhancement require both general and specific interventions.
- Curriculum reviews that emphasise transformatory areas (e.g. masculinity) are urgently required.
- The need to record and know our history: it underpins our cultural norms and practices, and informs us about the origins of gender inequality in our specific environment.
- Form networks along interests and specialties (education, health, economics, training, etc), regionally and even on linguistic basis.
- Learn from experience of the 1995 Beijing International Conference on Women – a stimulant to Gender Studies and birth of many organisations that promote gender equality.
Prof. Tamara in her reiteration critically observed that “Imagining future possibilities requires working with our pasts, especially those that continue to haunt us in the present.” These, she noted, include neoliberal capitalism and its consumerist universities, “where critical feminist scholarship only matters when it is packaged in particular ways and proliferates particular kinds of outputs. “
She called for the need to decolonise the curriculum by adopting alternative approaches to the classroom such as emphasis on non-didactic, collaborative, participatory, embodied, relational and affective feminist practices, as well as the value of working across modalities of art, activism and scholarship in both pedagogical and research practices, as key terrains of possibility on the way forward.
Citing the keynote address delivered by Prof. Amina Mama on the opening day of the conference, Prof. Tamara said, “We cannot simply acknowledge that we emerged from feminist grassroots movements, but we need to make sure that these connections are vibrant and alive.
“We need to be consistently reviving and reinvigorating these synergies, as she put it, between civil society movements and the scholarly projects, which of course means ongoing collaborations and networking” emphasised Prof. Tamara.
Delivering her remarks at close the conference, the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire, Dean SWGS Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali, as well as the faculty, staff and volunteers for the excellently organised and well-facilitated conference.
“I am delighted to note that in addition to my expectations being met, I had, in the few sessions I attended, the rare opportunity to hear firsthand, the accounts of the brave heroines of Afro-feminism and how important these accounts are for shaping future mindsets” remarked Mrs. Magara.
The Chairperson of Council nevertheless cautioned that in addition to decolonising the African academy, the debate should be blended with a candid discussion on the application of African scholarship to the needs and aspirations of African communities.
“The debate must go beyond the goal of accommodating the voices of African scholars in academia. The academy must provide space for indigenous knowledge, sharing local experiences, and prioritising discourse on African problems from African lenses” she noted.
The closing keynote address was delivered by Dr. Nyepudzayi Mercy Nyangulu, Founder and Chair, of the Women in Management Business and Development (WIMBD) TRUST of Zimbabwe, which coincidentally marks 30 years of existence on 27th October, 2022. On this celebratory note, Dr. Nyangulu proposed the following as recommendations to SWGS for the next 30 years.
- Leverage the rich list of SWGS alumni to influence Government Ministries as well as Higher Education Institutions to include a gender component in their curricula.
- Develop programs that can enhance collaboration, solidarity and sharing of experiences with Women’s Movements so as to strengthen needs assessment and data collection at the grassroots.
- Take advantage of e-learning to reach those in full-time employment with the aspirations of upgrading their qualifications in leadership and management
- Adopt community dialogues as a mechanism for learning more about gender-related issues such as child marriages and Gender Based Violence.
- Adopt gender programmes that encourage inter-generational learning and knowledge sharing
- Explore opening up SWGS Centres in other African countries as an income generating activity.
- Collaborate with National Gender Commissions to bring theory and practice together and develop new theories for Gender Praxis.
- Tap into the debate on masculinity that is gaining momentum so as to develop relevant programmes and grow the number of male champions
- Think outside the box, dream big and turn all the challenges afflicting gender studies into opportunities
- Follow up past students and their impact on society and use data findings to inform future programmes
- Broaden funding base by; going beyond development partners to institutions such as the African Union (AU) that have Ambassadorial positions e.g. in Child Marriages, Offering consultancy services to Countries as SWGS, etc.
The Guest of Honour at the closing ceremony and Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi Akena, who was accompanied by the Chairperson of the National Women’s Council (Uganda), Hajat Faridah Kibowa in her speech congratulated Makerere University upon successfully hosting the conference whose recommendations will inform policy.
Hon. Amongi Akena, a double alumna of the Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration and Masters of International Relations and Diplomatic Studies commended her alma mater for pursuing a broad gender agenda, by establishing academic programmes at Undergraduate, Masters and PhD level. “You’ve harnessed, advanced and promoted gender equality over the years.”
She observed that the conference theme; Africa and Gender Studies: Celebrating 30 Years of Transformation and Re-imagining the Future was a timely underpinning of SDG 5. “We know that social, political and economic equality for women is an integral part of achieving all the SDGs.”
The Honourable Minister shared that the Government has come up with a comprehensive approach to reducing gender inequality by; repealing laws that discriminate against women and girls, increasing protection against violence, closing the gap in girls accessing education, digital technology, as well as sexual reproductive health services and rights.
“We also look at women’s equal leadership and participation as fundamental and with the quotas that guarantee women’s participation in politics, which we have been implementing, we have at least achieved a shift in the balance of power in those corridors” she said.
The extent of this shift was elucidated upon by the Minister of State, for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Peace Regis Mutuzo as she took part in the UN WOMEN High Level Policy Panel on Gender Studies and Practice: Lessons from the Field, held earlier on closing day.
“As we talk right now, we have 178 women in Parliament. Out of 178, 168 are elected; not just appointed but elected. And so I think we have moved a milestone. That goes to show how the Government of Uganda is committed to women empowerment, and has put in place legal and policy mechanisms for its attainment.
“The Constitution mandates the same to ensure gender balance and representation of marginalised groups on all constitutional and other bodies, guarantees women’s equal rights with men, and affirmative action to redress imbalance created by history, tradition, customs among other factors” said Hon. Mutuzo.
The UN Women High Level Policy Panel was presided over by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba and chaired by the Principal CHUSS, Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire. Other panelists included; Ms. Awa Ndiaye, UN WOMEN Representative to the African Union, Ms. Susan Ngongi Namondo, UN Resident Coordinator for Uganda, Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Chairperson of the Makerere University Endowment Fund (MakEF) who represented the Private Sector, and Hon. Bjørg Sandkjær, Deputy Minister of International Development in the Norwegian Government.
Please click the links below to view video recordings of the Closing Ceremony and UN Women High Level Panel.
Closing Ceremony: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ZkKzbnrjPaKv
UN Women High Level Policy Panel: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1rmxPgbejYZJN
Downloads
During a ceremony hosted by The French Embassy in Uganda on Wednesday, October 7 2026, four Makerere-affiliated academics were honoured with French Order of Academic Palms for their effort in strengthening working relations between France and Uganda.
The individuals recognised for their dedication to education, research, and the teaching of French include; Professor Edith Ruth Natukunda Togboa, Dr Agatha Tumwine, Professor Christian Kakuba, and Professor Enoch Sebuyungo.
During the ceremony, the French Ambassador H.E. Virginie Leroy highlighted that the partnership between France and Uganda partly thrives on the commitment of teachers and researchers who facilitate dissemination of knowledge and build lasting connections between the two nations.
One of the recipients, Professor Edith Ruth Natukunda Togboa, who was promoted to the rank of Officer of the Academic Palms is a long-time French instructor at Makerere University.
Professor Natukunda Togboa focused her career on bilingualism, translation, and language policy since returning from her studies in France in the 1980s.
Dr Agatha Tumwine the other recipient was appointed Knight of the Academic Palms.
As a Lecturer at Makerere University and President of the Association of French Teachers in Uganda (APFO), Dr Tumwine is recognised as instrumental in strengthening the French-teaching community and facilitating cooperation with the French Embassy.
The third is Professor Christian Kakuba who also received the rank of Knight. With nearly 30 years of experience at Makerere University in socio-demography and applied statistics. He has been a key figure in training new researchers and maintaining ties with the French National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED).
The fourth, Professor Enoch Sebuyungo, was equally appointed Knight of the Academic Palms.
Professor Sebuyungo is a linguist trained in France, and has worked to promote French as a tool for professional training and dialogue. He has also supported French-speaking refugees through translation services.
The Academic Palms (Ordre des Palmes Académiques) is an official National Order of Merit bestowed by the French Republic to honor distinguished academics, teachers, and individuals who have made valuable contributions to universities, education, science, and French culture.
Humanities & Social Sciences
MISR Director Assoc. Prof. Lyn Ossome Publishes New Book, Democracy’s Subjections
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book by the Director, Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Assoc. Prof. Lyn Ossome titled Democracy’s Subjections: Colonial Modernity and the Gendered Subject of Violence. It was published by Bloomsbury Academic.
In this ground-breaking study, Lyn Ossome offers an authoritative, interdisciplinary theory of how postcolonial capitalist democracies reproduce the gendered forms of violence essential to colonial rule.
Through an interdisciplinary methodology traversing political studies, feminist political economy, historical and literary studies, Ossome shows how postcolonial, capitalist democracies in Africa, like their colonial antecedents, use various identity-markers to determine whose rights and bodies are violable, to what extent, and whether and how the violated have a right to resist. The book critically reflects on the dilemmas and contradictions produced by the colonial encounter and its subjugative orders for the postcolonial democratizing state, interrogating why the failures of democratic institutions target gendered, labouring bodies. Through evidence gathered from colonial archives in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, as well as through critical comparisons of two artistic responses to gender-based violence and rape in South Africa and India, Ossome offers a trenchant critique that, beyond the contexts analysed, is relevant across the postcolonial Global South.
The Makerere University community heartily congratulates Assoc. Prof. Lyn Ossome on this new milestone!
Book cover
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Humanities & Social Sciences
Prof. Walakira takes over as CHUSS Deputy Principal, pledges research-driven leadership
New Deputy Principal Prof. Eddy Joshua Walakira has pledged to build on the existing foundations at Makerere University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), with a focus on strengthening research, innovation, partnerships and the college’s income-generating capacity.
Prof. Walakira made the pledge on Monday, September 14, 2026, after officially taking over as Deputy Principal of CHUSS from Associate Prof. Eric Awich Ochen, who completed his four-year tenure after assuming office in April 2022.
The handover ceremony, held at the CHUSS Smart Room, brought together the College Principal, Associate Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, deans, heads of departments, academic, administrative and support staff, as well as representatives from the Directorate of Internal Audit.
Walakira said he was taking over at a time when CHUSS had established a strong foundation and pledged to work with the Principal and staff to take the college to greater heights.
“I’m coming in with a lot of hope, a lot of courage and a lot of optimism because the foundations are already in place and the structures are already in place,” Walakira said.
He said his immediate priority would be to understand the needs of the different schools and departments and develop practical interventions, particularly in research, innovation and partnerships.
The incoming Deputy Principal said he intends to undertake a tour of CHUSS schools and departments to assess their research, innovation and partnership needs. said the exercise would help management identify existing capacities, gaps and opportunities that could be developed into practical plans for the college.
“My thinking is that we are going to form the best team ever that has led CHUSS,” he said, stressing that the college has the human and institutional capacity to become a leading unit within the University.
Walakira said CHUSS should make greater use of the networks and partnerships already established by its academic units, arguing that these could provide opportunities for research collaboration, innovation and resource mobilisation.
He also challenged departments that have faced long-standing equipment shortages to explore sustainable solutions rather than relying entirely on external funding.
“If the Department of Journalism for the last 20 years is still crying about equipment, I don’t think that is a good song. There must be a way out from within,” Walakira said. He pledged to work closely with Principal Nambalirwa Nkabala and other college leaders to identify opportunities for strengthening research capacity, publication and partnerships.
Walakira pledges loyal and collaborative leadership
Walakira pledged to work closely with the Principal, deans, heads of departments and staff while respecting University policies and structures. He said his leadership approach would be based on humility, consultation and practical problem-solving.
“My pledge, first of all, is to be loyal and humble to my boss and, above all, to serve in the fear of the Most High and to respect the rules, the principles and the structures of the University,” he said.
Walakira said he would seek to strengthen existing research groups and explore opportunities for the college to generate more resources internally. He urged staff to embrace a collective vision and work together to address challenges facing the college.
He expressed confidence that CHUSS could become a leading college within Makerere University if its existing human resource and institutional capacity were effectively harnessed.
“We have people who can work in leadership, but we have to develop a collective vision. We have to respect and accept the capabilities that we have, and also accept to work together to address the challenges that confront us,” he said.
Assoc. Prof. Ochen highlights four years of academic and research gains
In his handover report, outgoing Deputy Principal Prof. Eric Awich Ochen highlighted progress made during his four-year tenure, including improvements in teaching and learning, academic programme development, research, internationalisation, staff capacity building and digitalisation.
Ochen said he assumed office in April 2022, in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and worked under two College Principals—Prof. Josephine Ahikire and Associate Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala.
He attributed the achievements recorded during his tenure to collective efforts by the Principal, deans, heads of departments and staff.
“Whatever I did in the office of the Deputy Principal for the last four years has been in the best interest of the students. I tried to act in good faith,” Ochen said.
He acknowledged that leadership involves mistakes and said one of his major lessons had been the importance of consultation before making decisions.
Ochen advised his successor to maintain close consultation with the Principal, particularly when dealing with issues requiring clarification.
Ochen reported that the college had developed and revised several academic programmes during his tenure, including postgraduate programmes in French language studies, African languages and anthropology.
He said several existing programmes had also undergone accreditation and urged deans and heads of departments to begin preparations early for programmes due for re-accreditation.
He warned that delays in accreditation could disrupt student admissions and programme delivery, citing previous cases where some programmes were temporarily affected.
The outgoing Deputy Principal also highlighted efforts to revive and establish scholarly journals within CHUSS, including journals in history, peace, humanities, literature and communication.
He called for greater regularity in journal publication and continued digitisation to improve the visibility and accessibility of the college’s scholarly output.
Ochen said CHUSS had also made progress in modernising teaching and learning through the adoption of digital academic management systems.
He noted that staff had transitioned from the Academic Information Management System to ACMIS for the management and uploading of students’ results.
Timetable coordinators had also been trained to upload teaching timetables and workloads electronically.
The college also installed smart interactive screens in several lecture rooms, which Ochen said had improved the teaching environment and supported blended learning.
He urged the incoming leadership to continue investing in digital infrastructure, particularly for smaller postgraduate teaching spaces.
Ochen reported that CHUSS had significantly expanded its research and grants portfolio, with the college managing grants estimated at about US$12 million.
He attributed the growth partly to the development of research groups across departments and encouraged the new leadership to strengthen these groups to increase grant applications and scholarly publications.
“I believe in the last four years we have grown as a college. I think we have quite a higher portfolio of grants,” Ochen said.
He also cited numerous conferences, public lectures and international academic events as having contributed to CHUSS’s visibility nationally and internationally.
These included philosophy events, social work conferences, peace-related events, language celebrations, history and climate-migration conferences and other scholarly engagements.
Ochen said CHUSS had expanded its international collaborations through mobility programmes, academic partnerships and international conferences.
He pointed to Erasmus+ programmes and other collaborations involving universities in Europe, Africa and other parts of the world.
He also highlighted the Rotary Peace Centre and its growing international student community as important contributors to the college and University’s internationalisation agenda.
Despite the progress, Ochen identified inadequate equipment, particularly in journalism and multimedia production, as one of the challenges requiring attention.
He also cited concerns around support for staff supervising students, marking dissertations and other academic work, as well as the need to better recognise academic work conducted outside normal university hours.
He urged the incoming leadership to continue engaging staff and seeking practical solutions to these challenges.
Leadership transition will not disrupt CHUSS
Principal Associate Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked Ochen for his service and said the transition would not destabilise the college.
She described Ochen as a committed colleague whose passion, energy and humility had contributed to the college’s progress.
Nambalirwa said the college was entering a new phase under Walakira, whose appointment comes as CHUSS implements its strategic priorities.
She said the college’s newly developed strategic plan provides a framework for advancing research, social protection, innovation, partnerships and other institutional priorities.
“We are very ambitious. We are hoping that we shall get a lot of wealth. For this college to move further, we are moving with stability,” Nambalirwa said.
The Principal also urged staff to continue supporting the new Deputy Principal as they had supported Ochen.
“Please, support that you have given Professor Ochen should be extended to Professor Walakira, because service is only fun when you have all your hands,” she said.
Staff commend Ochen, welcome Walakira
Staff members who spoke during the ceremony commended Ochen for his leadership and commitment to students while welcoming Walakira to the new role.
Mr. Gidange Moses from the Directorate of Internal Audit praised the Principal for nurturing staff and creating opportunities for them to take up leadership responsibilities.
He commended Ochen for completing his tenure and urged Walakira to embrace the responsibility of leading the college alongside the Principal.
Dr. Charlotte Mafumbo, Head of the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies, described Ochen as a passionate leader and thanked him for his contribution to the college.
She pledged the department’s support to the incoming Deputy Principal.
Dr. Denis Muhangi, Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, representing the Dean of the School of Social Sciences, praised Ochen for his resilience in following up decisions and his commitment to student welfare.
He assured Walakira of the school’s support as he takes on his new responsibilities.
Maria Gyezaho, from the Principal’s office, also thanked Ochen for his guidance and leadership, saying the skills he had imparted to staff would continue to benefit them.
The handover formally marked the end of Ochen’s tenure as Deputy Principal and the beginning of Walakira’s term, with the college leadership calling on staff to maintain the momentum achieved over the previous four years while pursuing new opportunities for growth.
For details about Prof. Eddy Joshua Walakira, please click on the link below:
https://chuss.mak.ac.ug/en/personnel/eddy-joshua-walakira/
Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer CHUSS
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