Promotion of Gender Responsive Conservation Management and Empowerment of Women in Biosphere Reserves

Abstract

The Government of Uganda (GoU) recognizes the need to expand opportunities for men, women, boys and girls not only as a human right but also as a means for sustainable inclusive development. To realize this, the government has put in place gender responsive legal and policy instruments that provide a favorable environment aimed at reducing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities across different social, political and economic spheres. The instruments are aligned to some of the instruments at the international level including the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform of Action (BPfA), and the Global Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Uganda is also a member of UNESCO which designated gender equality as one of its two global priorities in all its fields of competence throughout the duration of its Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021. In 2020-2021, the organization committed itself to implement the actions set out in the Approved 39 C/5, focusing on institutional gender mainstreaming; establishing and maintaining partnership, coordination and networking; and providing technical expertise and support to integrate gender equality considerations in policies, programmes and initiatives (09201, 40C/5). The Country therefore needs to align its policies to ensure that issues of gender parity are pursued. At national level, gender issues are encompassed under the 2006 Uganda National Gender Policy. These policies have seen Uganda register some progress in reducing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities through social protection programmes like the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), the Youth Livelihoods Programme (YLP), Labor Works Programme, and Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE), among others (MGLSD, 2018)