“Sister Robert, sister John”: Enhancing women’s voices and gendered membership of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association

Abstract

abstractSince the 19th century, the fight for the recognition and visibility of women's voices in political structures such as Parliament and public political deliberations has been challenging in many ways. This article aims to contribute to knowledge concerning women's movements, collective political voice and consolidated efforts. Particular focus is on the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) as one of the essential components of the women’s movement in Uganda. Based on a qualitative phenomenological research design and a sample size of 10 female and 4 male long-serving parliamentarians, this article examines how women parliamentarians were able to enhance women's voices during deliberations in the Ugandan Parliament, and how collaborations with women's organisations and male legislators in Uganda enhanced women's voices during these deliberations. The findings revealed that: (a) participants attributed their successes with gender-sensitive laws and policies to the power of caucusing, sisterhood and women's collective voice, and (b) women participants revealed that the success of legislation such as The Domestic Violence Act, and Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation resulted from collaboration with male legislators, some of whom were also members of UWOPA. The case of UWOPA is indicative of value-added gains which can be derived from the deliberate effort to incorporate men into the women’s movement.