The Challenge
Uganda has shown great efforts in improving access to education, employment and social services for its population. However, women and girls, making up more than half of the country’s population, are still lacking behind and face severe challenges in everyday life, with fundamental consequences on their future.
Uganda has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world. More than 70% are below the age of 30 years. Women give birth to 5.6 children on average. Many of them are single mothers or teenagers, who face challenges to sustain themselves and their families due to structural inequalities. In addition, 84% of Uganda´s population resides in rural areas instead of developed urban cities. Traditional roles and values, high gender inequality and little economic possibilities in the rural environment limit the capabilities of women and girls to finish school, engage in formal employment and unleash their potentials. To correspond to prevailing gender roles, women do the majority of domestic labor, such as cooking, cleaning and fetching water, leaving little time to earn an income or engage in higher education.
Some parents believe that educating their daughters is a waste of time and resources, sending them into early marriage to gain lifelong security. Also, engaging in sexual relationships or pre-marital pregnancies are associated with embarrassment and disgrace, leading to abandonment and rejection of girls from the family and community. Consequently, women and girls are strongly dependent on the decisions of their family or husband, unable to have control over their own time, body and life. Often suppressed, undervalued and undermined, life as a woman in rural Uganda is difficult and strongly impacts their future.
Some parents believe that educating their daughters is a waste of time and resources, sending them into early marriage to gain lifelong security. Also, engaging in sexual relationships or pre-marital pregnancies are associated with embarrassment and disgrace, leading to abandonment and rejection of girls from the family and community. Consequently, women and girls are strongly dependent on the decisions of their family or husband, unable to have control over their own time, body and life. Often suppressed, undervalued and undermined, life as a woman in rural Uganda is difficult and strongly impacts their future.
Leaving more than half of the population behind by denying women and girls the same access to education, employment and social services like men does not only impede the sound development of every society, it is also a huge waste of human resources, affecting a country´s social and economic prosperity. Empowering women in rural Uganda to get access to higher education, health services and decent work increases their chances to contribute to a diverse and just environment and contributes to inclusive economic growth.
"Empowering women increases their chances to contribute to a diverse and just society and contributes to inclusive economic growth."
Our Response
Economic Empowerment
Creating business opportunities for rural women
Uganda has been ranked one of the world’s most entrepreneurial countries, an advantage offering much potential for women to jump in and increase on their entrepreneurial activity. We enable women in rural Uganda to start their own businesses and participate in existing markets by giving access to productive resources and training them in necessary skills to run their own business. Enhancing their employment possibilities for women in rural Uganda does not only increase their chances in life, but also to Uganda´s economic growth.
Educational Empowerment
Sending marginalized girls back to school
At Gejja we strongly believe, that educating a girl means educating a whole society. If girls are able to go to school and receive a good education, they have more chances to compete in life, find paid employment, increase on their health and provide a better future for their children. We give educational support to marginalized girls in rural Uganda, in particular former school drop-outs and young mothers, by paying school fees, requirements and other school related necessities, in order to allow them to finish their education.
Social Empowerment
Uplifting women and girls within society
In order to create a society of conscious, self-determined and strong women, they need to be in control of their own bodies, time and life. We conduct menstrual hygiene campaigns and talk about sexual- and reproductive health, to reduce on early pregnancies, maternal mortality and sexual transmittable diseases such as HIV/Aids. We teach both, men and women, on the importance of equal rights and opportunities for all and put special attention on gender perspectives throughout all our work, to eliminate gender bias and discrimination and enhance equality on all levels of society