An analysis of the level of practice of gender mainstreaming in decentralized local government in Uganda: a case study of Wakiso district.

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Date
2009-09
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Publisher
Kampala International University, Colleges of Humanities and Social sciences
Abstract
Gender Mainstreaming has developed worldwide and is being promoted as a new approach to policy essentially concerned with the integration of equal opportunities, principles, strategies and practices into every day work of government and other public bodies. The United Nations endorsed and promoted the concept of gender mainstreaming in the platform for action which was adopted at the end of the 1995 United Nations Fourth World conference on women in Beijing. Many countries including Uganda subsequently adopted a national plan for gender mainstreaming. Scholars like Charles worth (2005), and Moser and Moser (2003) have already shown the limited impact of the gender mainstreaming practice. In Uganda several efforts at national level have been undertaken to gender Mainstream. But is this the case with decentralized local governments? Using the theoretical framework of Gender and Development, the main objective of the study is to contribute to the understanding of how gender concerns have been mainstreamed under the decentralization process in Uganda with a view of determining the levels attained so far in relation to the global trends and standards and thereby come up with solutions and ideas for those involved on how best to improve and attain the best levels of gender mainstreaming as posited by the UN. Wakiso district is used as a case study. The findings of the study show that Wakiso District has taken a number of critical steps in an attempt to gender mainstream however the steps are disjointed and not coordinated. It is also apparent that there is a misunderstanding between including gender statements in projects and documents and the whole aspect of gender mainstreaming. The district administration and political heads in the District have not given gender mainstreaming the attention it deserves. We recommend that comprehensive research on gender aspects in decentralization be done as a precursor to any efforts on gender mainstreaming and this be coupled with increased budget allocations for gender activities and the leadership giving it the attention it deserves.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of master of arts in development administration and management of Kampala international university
Keywords
Gender mainstreaming, Decentralized, Local government, Wakiso district
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