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Mak Gender Directorate to Start Women’s Forum Amidst Calls for More Female Representation in Leadership
By Marion Alina and Rachel Kanyi
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD) at Makerere University has embarked on an aggressive agenda to train female staff on leadership skills. This agenda is informed by the absence of women in several top leadership positions at Makerere University and other institutions of higher learning.
Makerere University, for instance, has no record of a female Chancellor or Vice Chancellor in its 100+ years of existence. As of 2024, the Vice Chancellor and his two deputies are all male. The female voices are partially comforted by the fact that the current Chairperson of Council is female. Through GMD, a wave is burgeoning to change this trend. To kick start this agenda, the Directorate held a two-day workshop (28th-29th May 2024) that attracted over 70 female staff at Makerere and other universities. The meet-up was part of activities under a Research and Innovations Fund (RIF) project titled; Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and decision-making organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. It ran under the theme: ‘Building and Sustaining a critical mass of potential women leaders at Makerere University’.
According to Ms Susan Mbabazi, a Principal Gender Officer at GMD, the workshop aimed at among other things to generate strategies on how women can position themselves for future leadership.
The project Principal Investigator who also doubles as the Director GMD, Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine, called upon women to gain confidence and stand out whenever leadership opportunities arise. “There is need for women to be on the discussion table, making decisions as opposed to keeping at the back. It is high time women gained confidence and took on these leadership opportunities. It all starts right from where you are,” she guided. She tipped women on how to balance work life with other responsibilities. A firm-talking Euzobia rebuked the scenario where women get successful in one aspect of life and fail to handle other aspects. “A woman can be successful both in her career and home. You need to adopt life skills such as excellent time management, multi-tasking and also learn to prioritize what is important. As women, you can be a mother and also a career lady, find a formula to balance life as career worker, mother and wife,” she emphasized.
“Despite all the various efforts at national and international level, the number of women is not growing as fast as needed. Across the board in public and private institutions, women are persistently few in numbers as staff, but more so in leadership and decision making organs,” explained Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, the project Co-Principal Investigator. “Females still face a lot of challenges some of which are institutional, personal, social/family related and economic. Under this project, we will conduct a situation analysis of the gender terrain across six public universities. These include Makerere, Kabale, Gulu, Busitema, Muni & Mbarara University of Science & Technology. We intend to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance & leadership organs by gender; the composition of senior staff by gender; needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees; capacity to conduct gender-responsive research; and exploration of the male staff engagement in gender equality/equity interventions,” she added.
Speaking at the same workshop, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze shared her experience as Dean, School of Public Health. “All the Heads of Department at the School of Public Health are women. The Deputy Dean is a man. When I was a student at this school, I never saw a female Head of Department or Dean. In my first week as Dean, I heard somebody say; will this woman manage? It is then that I felt that this space had to change. People had to get used to accepting that women can deliver,” she said. “Do not limit your abilities and qualifications to where you are. Do not look at Makerere for your growth, the world is big with many other opportunities. Lay your nets everywhere, it is another way of adding value to Makerere University. Work with people who are better than you. How can you become better if you dislike better? How will money come to you if you talk ill of people with money? I love working with smart people. You are as good as the company you keep,” she added.
The outgoing Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) Prof. Josephine Ahikire called upon women to be more intentional in taking up leadership positions at all levels in the university. “At CHUSS, we have a critical mass of qualifying females. But you need to aspire too. There are new ways through which patriarchy recreates itself and brings women down even when they qualify. You therefore ought to be determined and stand strong in order to take on these leadership spaces,’ she argued. Prof. Ahikire advised women to understand their work environment and policies, since this will help propel them higher. “It is quite helpful to understand the institution, policies, and have them on your fingertips so that you are not looking for favouritism. We need a critical mass in these mid-level and upper positions. We need to be more intentional and have unity among us, fighting against ourselves will not put us anywhere,” she emphasized. As she leaves office, Prof. Ahikire was proud of leaving behind a vibrant CHUSS. “I’ have enjoyed being a leader. CHUSS has five schools and one institute. Four of these schools are led by women. We have three Deans and MISR is headed by a woman too,” she said to a thunderous applause.
Basing on her leadership experience, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Bunyoro University, Prof. Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo advised women to strategise and use every opportunity available in leadership by showing up, even when they know they will not win the race. She noted that the act of showing interest is a visibility gate for them to be known and adopt good networks in the world. She tipped women on ways of navigating the maze synonymous with work environments. “Learn the insider system in order to know how things are done. Do not fear failure since it is part of the leadership game,” she counselled.
In her advice to participants about the challenges that manifest with showing interest in leadership, the Manager of the Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) at Makerere University, Prof. Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza cautioned that, “it is when you have shown interest in leadership that people start uttering all sorts of insults just to discourage and intimidate you because they think women break down so fast. Do not allow yourself to be pulled down. Know when to talk, when to engage and when to act. Sometimes give them silence and move on, it is better than fighting or responding back at insults.” Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza, who is a professor at the Department of Performing Arts and Film, CHUSS emphasized the value of mentorship. She recommended that women ought to have a mentor for these leadership positions. She praised Prof. Bantebya for having been a good mentor to her.
The Director for Africa 4W Women and Wellbeing Initiative at the School of Human Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, Dr. Deborah Kaddu-Serwadda noted that Uganda can leverage the success of Makerere University’s gender mainstreaming policy to build a critical mass of university students, faculty, and staff; able to work together. She mentioned some of the proposed objectives of a 4W Initiative Pilot at Makerere University, Uganda as: piloting an interdisciplinary multigenerational higher education collaboration for the promotion of gender equality and women’s wellbeing. The pilot project would further initiate an academic women leaders’ South to North research-to-action network for gender equality and social transformation. She emphasized the need for self-priority and love and advised women to also think about their lives first before prioritizing other people. “You offer what you have, first build yourself, then extend it to others. This does not mean that you become selfish. I refer you to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8,” she preached.
The Senior Gender Mainstreaming Officer, Mr Eric Tumwesigye reminded participants that gender constructs are made and maintained by society. “Society has already written a script for every gender and that is how it tends to judge you. Society expects a man to provide for his family and failure to do so could be interpreted as grave on the man’s part. He will be identified with all sorts of names. This can be challenged,” he said.
Ms Caroline Abilat Asio, a Gender Officer at GMD used the Gender River of life concept to inspire women to rise to leadership. Using this analogy, she explained that every river widens and narrows at some point. And that likewise everyone experiences moment of challenges and triumph interchangeably.
With the workshop now ignited, Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine took to the stage to propose a women’s forum; a platform she hopes will help to unify the voice of women. “Where is the women’s voice in several of the issues around us? Who articulates our issues? What can we do differently so as to create that space for women? To help answer this question, we intend to launch a Makerere University Women’s Forum. This forum should be our space. We shall have regular meetings,” she said.
In her closing remarks, Ms Phoebe Kamya Lutaaya, the Deputy Coordinator at Mak-RIF encouraged the participants to broaden their network. “Experience has shown me that the higher you go in the ranks, the lonelier you become. To prevent this, learn to survive in the changing political environment at the workplace,” she said.
Makerere University on Tuesday, 7th October 2025 hosted a delegation from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom in a bid to strengthen academic partnerships and operationalize their existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The delegation, led by Prof. Azwinndini Muronga, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, NMU, aimed to turn earlier agreements into actionable collaborations and build sustainable partnerships with various colleges.
The Acting (Ag.) Deputy Vice Chancellor; Finance and Administration, Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta, provided an overview of the institution’s structure—nine colleges, two schools, and two institutes—while acknowledging the challenges of maintaining excellence amid resource limitations and post-pandemic recovery. He emphasized that collaboration must serve the broader goal of research-driven development, calling for teamwork and resilience among African universities. “We have to work together to sustain high academic standards and contribute to the continent’s progress,” he noted.
Prof. Muronga spoke passionately about the NMU’s “African footprint agenda.” He urged both institutions to start with small, practical projects that can build confidence and momentum for larger initiatives. “We must grow partnerships within Africa first,” he stated, “before we expand globally. True collaboration begins when both sides contribute equally, share capacity, and build self-reliance.”
Prof. Muronga also expressed interest in joint research projects, doctoral supervision, and shared grant applications, noting that NMU and Makerere are strategically positioned to lead regional academic innovation.
In her remarks, Prof. Judy Peter, Senior Director in the International Office at NMU emphasized the University’s commitment to African-centered collaboration and the importance of internationalizing the curriculum and expanding research capacity.
Prof. Peter underscored the importance of student mobility, joint supervision of postgraduate students, and the recruitment of talented African scholars, noting that such exchanges enrich both institutions’ academic communities. She also emphasized the need to internationalize the curriculum, particularly through virtual learning platforms and co-teaching models, to ensure broader accessibility and shared expertise.
Contributions also came from Prof. James Wokadala, Deputy Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), further amplified the need to “start small and build on existing collaborations.” He proposed developing a clear roadmap that defines short-term goals and identifies areas for mutual growth.
From the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Richard Idro, the Deputy Principal highlighted opportunities for fellowship, training and collaboration in clinical subjects, emphasizing the need for practical exchanges that benefit students and staff alike. He also addressed logistical challenges such as transportation and coordination, urging for targeted partnerships that can yield tangible results.
The meeting reaffirmed the universities’ commitment to collaboration in areas including faculty exchange for guest lectures, seminars, and sabbaticals; joint research and grant applications for regional and international funding; co-supervision of postgraduate students; virtual classroom exchanges; curriculum internationalization and exchange of academic materials; and capacity development for academic and administrative staff.
The teams also identified “quick-win” projects that could be implemented in the short term and agreed to establish a joint implementation team to monitor progress. Further discussions will explore funding mechanisms, including the possibility of leveraging programs like Erasmus+, to support student exchange and joint research initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Muronga reaffirmed Nelson Mandela University’s commitment to ensuring that the partnership yields visible outcomes. Both universities agreed that future engagements will be structured around mutual respect, accountability, and measurable results.
The meeting concluded on a note of optimism, with both institutions expressing confidence that their partnership will not only advance academic excellence but also contribute to Africa’s broader vision of educational and research self-reliance.
The meeting was attended by several officials from Makerere including; Prof. Eric Awich Ochen-Deputy Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze-Deputy Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Prof. Godfrey Akileng-Dean School of Business, Dr. Geoffrey Nuwagaba-CoBAMS, Mr. Martine Rugamba-Ag. Chief Advancement Office, and Ms. Hawa Kajumba-Advancement Office.
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