One of ICLD’s training programmes has a special focus on Sustainable Development Goal #5 gender equality aimed at government officials who want to develop gender equality in their municipalities and contribute to equality for all citizens. Christine Kayango in Jinja, Uganda, is one of them. The International Training Programme focusing on Gender Mainstreaming was introduced to civil servants in local administrations in four African countries in 2018. The first of three cohorts ended in November 2019, and on 19 February 2020, another group of enthusiastic civil servants representing eight local authorities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia will start their 18-month journey within the Programme. The Equality Journey is a five-step method in the training programme that all the participating teams are introducing into their organizations.
Christine Kayongo’s municipality, Jinja, has an estimated 420 registered persons with disabilities of which 140 are women. Of the 85 councillors in the municipality only 20 are females and only four are persons with disabilities. Before the training, the municipality had a weak policy for “all-inclusive” infrastructure development. This policy was not friendly to the disabled and hindered their access to facilities such as health centres, schools, banks, roads, and the town hall, among others. These facilities lacked amenities like ramps, handrails, adjustable beds, wheelchairs, braille signs, sign language services, etc. Often, persons with disabilities were denied equal enjoyment of their human rights and basic services because of the lesser status ascribed to them by tradition, custom, and lack of consideration by the local government.
By participating in the training, the Jinja Municipal Council’s departments have introduced work-plans and budgets that strive to be “all-inclusive” and gender responsive. Communities are now more aware of the abilities and structural needs of persons with disabilities, who themselves are now better informed about their rights and empowered to advocate for effective inclusive services. Also, the municipal staff are informed and enforcing the rights of persons with disabilities at a higher degree than before.
Do you want to learn more about Christine Kayongo’s experience?
Visit the ICLD website: https://icld.se/en/article/gender-equal-lives-for-all-citizens-in-jinja/