Women body seeks NMG support to build leadership centre
Ms Susan Nsibirwa, the managing director of Nation Media Group-Uganda (NMG-U) (left), receives a gift hamper from Ms Patricia Munabi Babiiha, the executive director of the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) at the Monitor Publications Limited offices in Namuwongo, Kampala, yesterday. PHOTO | STEPHEN OTAGE.
What you need to know:
- Ms Susan Nsibirwa, the managing director of NMG-Uganda, thanked FOWODE for the gesture, saying it is important to highlight the work that the organisation does.
The Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) has said it is seeking to partner with the Nation Media Group (NMG) to help construct the first Women’s Leadership Centre in Uganda.
Speaking at the Monitor Publications offices in Namuwongo, Kampala, yesterday, Ms Patricia Munabi Babiiha, the executive director of FOWODE, said they are carrying out several activities to raise money to construct the centre which will be used to nurture young women and male leaders when they are still young. The activities include a Girls’ Festival, a dinner and visiting schools.
“FOWODE was created by the Constitution as a space for nurturing and building women leaders. Our work has spanned over 29 years encouraging women to join leadership,” she said.
“We have been encouraging them to join leadership, building their capacity to engage local councils and Parliament, we have worked with councillors at district level and we have broadened our work to leadership in women’s groups,” she added.
Mr Babiiha said over the years, FOWODE has proved to be a good grooming ground for women leaders who have sprung up in churches, cultural institutions, Parliament and other spaces where they were previously shunned.
She said training men alongside women is crucial for the latter to attain gender equality.
She added that the leadership centre is key for the organisation to sustain itself. The organisation has been relying on donors which, she said is no longer sustainable.
Ms Babiiha emphasized the necessity of constructing the leadership centre, saying as an organisation reliant on donations, they aim to establish self-sustaining avenues.
She added that relying solely on donors is no longer sustainable.
Ms Susan Nsibirwa, the managing director of NMG-Uganda, thanked FOWODE for the gesture, saying it is important to highlight the work that the organisation does.
“FOWEDE does a lot in highlighting gender issues. How do we bring these issues to light and address them locally and see how they work to better society so that they work for both genders?” she said.
She added that they have started a series of discussions to agree on areas where the two organisations will start the collaborations that are of mutual benefit.
