General
Prof. Nawangwe reiterates Mak’s Commitment towards Achieving Gender Parity
By Ritah Namisango
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has re-echoed Makerere University‘s commitment towards achieving gender parity.
“The increase of enrollment of female students in University’s undergraduate programs from less than 10 percent 20 years ago to 52% currently is a reflection of the commitment to achieving gender parity. Noting that women constitute 52% of Uganda’s population, we are doing the right thing. We are involved in engagements to improve the number of women in the academia, research and leadership,” he said.
Prof. Nawangwe made these remarks during the Opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium on Tuesday 15th November 2022. Makerere University is hosting the two-day conference (15-16th November 2022) aimed at discussing current geopolitical questions and trends.
“We are making our humble contribution to the promotion of Human Rights and making the world a better place. We will promote the generation of knowledge through research,” he stated.
Acknowledging the fact that the 5th edition of Kampala Geopolitics Conference brings on board 15 panels with over 80 speakers to discuss contemporary issues on health, security, climate change, human rights, gender and environment, the Vice Chancellor said Makerere University is proud to be a pioneer and partner in the Kampala Geopolitics Conference.
“We value this conference as a major avenue to disseminate our research on major national and global issues. We believe it is our responsibility as a premier African university to avail the space for intellectual discourse on issues that affect the well-being of our country, continent, and humanity,” he remarked.
Speaking at the conference, Paulina Chiwangu, the UN Women Country Representative in Uganda decried the increasing violence that is inflicted on women and girls. She pointed out the burden of teenage pregnancies. According to Paulina Chiwangu, Africa has stalled far for too long in advancing and protecting the rights of women and girls. “We know violence against women is too high, teenage pregnancies are too high, and economically, the gaps between men and women are so wide and we are all losing because women are losing economically.”
“We need to be creative, innovative and to boldly think of our approaches to accelerate inclusive development and this is where we need more young people to engage.We really need young minds; we need you (young people) to be engaged to make Africa a better continent. As UN Women we support the implementation of sustainable development goals,” she stated.
H.E. Xavier Sticker, the Ambassador-Designate of France to Uganda said that the idea of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference came five years ago from one of his predecessors, and the idea was to partner with different stakeholders to debate on issues affecting humanity in general.
“We are here to build a common ground to identify what kind of action we can take together. We are here to listen to you and pass on your conclusions onwards in order to have that global discussion for global solutions to be found,” he said.
Nils Wörmer, the Director of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Regional Program Security Dailogue for East Africa said that although the debate is of high quality on different topics, there is need to reach as many interested people as possible and discuss a spectrum of solutions.
“We are confident that together we shall make this year’s event a complete success like the previous events,” he said.
#KampalaGeopolitics
The Director of Makerere University Jinja Campus, Associate Professor Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala, has urged students to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding policy aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
Speaking during the safeguarding policy sensitization meeting held today Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Civil Service College, Jinja, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, emphasized the importance of awareness and adherence to the policy, which seeks to protect students, staff, and other stakeholders from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation, and discrimination.
“As Management we want every student to enjoy their stay at the University without being tormented and that can only happen, if students know their rights by reading about different policies on our website. You are meant to be living in a safe environment. We do not want anybody’s dream to be shattered or somebody to drop out from University,” Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, said.
In his speech, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, also called upon students who have complaints but do not know the reporting lines, to approach staff safeguarding champions to make sure that they live in a safe environment.
Addressing guests, Emmanuel Muchake, the Guild Administrator at Jinja Campus, pointed out that the launch of the safeguarding policy is timely because as a University, without creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning, they will not have students graduate.
On Friday, April 4,2025, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Right Honourable Lukia Isanga Nakadama, officially launched the Safeguarding Policy and commended Makerere University for crafting a policy that lays out the University’s framework for embedding viable safeguarding measures into its ethos and all institutional activities and processes to: Identify, detect, and act swiftly on safeguarding risks.
The Safeguarding Policy was developed in response to the growing need for institutions of higher learning to implement proactive measures that address concerns related to student welfare, mental health, gender-based violence, and power imbalances in academic settings.
Some of potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse and physical assault. Discrimination and neglect which are often high risks for students with disabilities and international students.
The safeguarding policy sensitization meeting in Jinja Campus brought together students and staff in a meaningful dialogue on safeguarding issues affecting learning.
The event was graced by Dr. Rodney Rugyema, from the Dean of Students Office, who emphasized the University’s commitment to the well-being of all its members. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of safeguarding policies in preventing abuse, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of misconduct within the Jinja Campus community.
“Safeguarding is not a one-time action, but a continuous culture of care and accountability. We all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and respectful space for learning and growth,” Dr Rugyema, said.
The sensitization session covered key topics including; recognizing signs of abuse, understanding reporting procedures on the MakSafeSpace and fostering mutual respect among peers.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage and reflect on their roles in upholding safety standards both on and off campus.
Students who attended the sensitization welcomed the initiative, with many expressing optimism that the policy would improve campus safety and encourage victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.
“We have seen issues go unreported in the past because students didn’t know where to turn. This policy provides clarity and assurance that the university is taking these matters seriously,” noted, a third-year student.
The University plans to conduct a series of sensitization workshops and distribute printed copies of the policy to ensure that every member of the campus community is well-informed. This initiative is part of Makerere University‘s broader strategy to reinforce its values of integrity, respect, and protection for all.
The Safeguarding Sensitization Meeting concluded with a collective pledge to uphold safety, dignity, and mutual respect within the University community.
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