General
Mak GMD Partners with MSU and MFAI to Build Capacity on Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct
In an effort to tackle the ongoing issues of Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct (RVSM) in higher education, Makerere University‘s Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU) and the Michigan Fellows Africa Initiative (MFAI) Uganda, organized a symposium aimed at raising awareness among university staff on how to address sexual harassment and related incidents. The workshop, held on September 10, 2024, at the Makerere University Telepresence Center in the Senate Building, focused on enhancing campus safety and providing increased support for RVSM victims and survivors.
Giving the opening remarks, the Director Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine noted that Makerere University has two major policies related to RVSM; Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment (PRASH) of 2006 as amended in 2018 and the Gender Equality Policy 2009 as amended in 2022. The policies are aimed at coordinating, facilitating and monitoring the integration of Gender dimension into core functions of the university. The Directorate is mandated to supervise the implementation of these policies through policy dissemination across all the university stakeholders, students and staff. This is conducted through orientation of new students, peer-to-peer training, and participating in the national and international campaigns against gender based violence (GBV) such as the ‘Me Too’ Campaign, and the 16 days of Activism against GBV, among others.
She further noted that the Directorate is supported by many University units such as the Directorate of Legal Affairs, the Office of the Vice Chancellor as well as the different college leaders and staff at various levels. These are represented through the Vice Chancellor’s Roster of 100 a committee of members from all colleges and departments of the university. The Members are appointed and trained on how to contribute to ending sexual harassment through various activities such as investigation of complaints and sexual harassment prevention education, in partnership with the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate to fight sexual harassment.
She explained that cases involving staff are forwarded to the Appointments Board, while those involving students to the Students Disciplinary Committee. If a student or staff is not contented with the ruling of either the Appointments Board or Students Disciplinary Committee, he or she has a right to appeal as prescribed in the Policy.
Dr. Mugisha Baine revealed that the Directorate finds challenges with handling cases in the social media era where often details about a given case go public before they reach the Directorate. This negatively affects the investigation process with regard to ensuring confidentiality, which discourages other stakeholders who face sexual harassment to come out and report. Additionally, cases where a survivor or victim is implicated as a bad person often lead to stigmatization. She called upon all stakeholders to make personal commitments to ending sexual harassment in the university and society at large.
Presenting on the RVSM survivor support, prevention and investigation reporting at MSU, the Vice President, Office of the Civil Rights (OCR) Title IX H.E Laura Rugless revealed that her unit is subdivided into different departments. These include; the investigative department, Support and Resolution system and Prevention Education. This facilitates the university’s ability to promote zero tolerance to RVSM including sexual harassment.
She revealed that the Prevention Education method is conducted through; best practice models, community needs, compliance, and empowerment programs that engage people. She added that MSU has a caring for identity system which breaks down stigmas. Through this system, survivors of sexual harassment have people to talk to through a flow of service that includes; survivors, helpers, advocates and therapists.
Laura noted that MSU has a sexual Assault Response Team (SART) which quickly responds to assault cases, thus providing survivor service centers across the university. These include safe spaces, Health Care programs for people with relationship problems among others.
Discussing the different ways MSU handles sexual Harassment, the Executive Director of the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department Ms. Kelly Schweda shared the three stages of; policies and investigations, Prevention Education and survivor support, that serve as a benchmark to address RVSM. MSU conducts sensitization of the RVSM policies to all new students and has a full time strong investigation system which enables fair ruling and also allows external investigators for cases involving high profile figures. She further noted that MSU has a full time prevention and education team making it easy for the sensitization to be conducted with a strong policy against retaliation, and ensures that everyone has access to information about a given case with consent from the people in charge.
Ms. Schweda also noted that MSU offers free training to people who are interested in understanding and navigating the policy of Relation Violence and Sexual Misconduct.
The Chief Guest, Prof. Julius Kikooma, Deputy Director Directorate of Research and Graduate Training at Makerere University appreciated GMD for opening up safe spaces for men to come out and share their challenges and fears on Sexual and Gender Based Violence and other gender-related issues. He noted this has fostered peer learning on ways of ending Sexual Gender Based Violence and Sexual Harassment in University.
Prof. Kikooma admitted that Makerere University still faces challenges on the question of masculinity and requested the Directorate to conduct trainings on the same. He called upon fellow staff members to proactively participate in the sensitization of the university students and staff on the Policy and Regulations against Sexual Harassment.
“There is a big challenge with toxic masculinity, not only within but also outside the university. One of the things that needs to be done is to conduct sessions that entirely interrogate toxic masculinity.” He echoed.
Prof. Kikooma who is also a member of the Makerere University Men’s hub called upon fellow men to learn how to work and support women, noting that everyone is important in the functioning of the university. He decried the act of labelling men as perpetrators all the time, and advocated for both genders work towards creating an environment that is conducive for work and academic excellence.
“When women are not okay, men are also not okay and therefore we need each other. Let’s end the act of blaming men for being the wrong doers all the time and try to adopt measures to create a good working environment for both genders.” Prof. Kikoma said.
The symposium was moderated by the Programs Manager at Michigan Fellows Africa Initiative (MFAI) Ms. Dorcus Asiimwe.
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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