Dokolo women leaders urged to keep Ogwal legacy alive
L-R: Minister Betty Amongi, Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, Ms Sarah Aguti Nyangkori and Ms Rebecca Arao during the celebration of belated Women's Day at Dokolo P/S on May 17, 2024. PHOTO | BILL OKETCH.
What you need to know:
- Ms Amongi said Ogwal was a legend who struggled for women's empowerment despite their political affiliations, not only in Dokolo District but also in the whole country.
Ms Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development has urged the Dokolo women leaders to remain united in honour of the former area legislator Cecilia Ogwal.
Ms Amongi said Ogwal was a legend who struggled for women's empowerment despite their political affiliations, not only in Dokolo District but also in the whole country.
“Most of the programmes that women are enjoying now are due to Cecilia Ogwal's contribution in Parliament, the women's movements and at the international level. She did not mind about your political affiliation when it came to development,” she said, during the belated International Women’s Day celebrations held at the Dokolo Primary School playground on Saturday.
Ms Amongi further urged women not to kill Ogwal’s legacy by getting divided at the time when she is no more.
“I will come back here and meet all women of various political affiliations so that we can reunite and re-orient ourselves towards ensuring that our focus is poverty alleviation by economically empowering all women in this country,” the minister added.
Ms Amongi also mobilised women to embrace the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project.
GROW is a World Bank-funded programme that aims to support women entrepreneurs to transition from micro to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
This intervention is in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan III goal that explicitly calls for “promoting women’s economic empowerment, leadership and participation in entrepreneurship programmes and business centres.
“My message to the women of this country is that we must work hard. We have several government programmes that we have initiated and are targeting women. We have Emyooga which has women, we have Parish Development Model (PDM) which now has 30 per cent for women and we have GROW which is for women,” she said.
“Please look for your community development officers and get money such that you can start a business for your economic empowerment.”
The area Woman MP, Ms Sarah Aguti Nyankori, promised to work with her former competitors for the seat; Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal (Ogwal’s daughter) and Ms Rebecca Arao, among others for the development of Dokolo.
