HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO. 27 OF 2023

THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)

WEEKLY UPDATE ON KEY EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKING ENVIROMENT OF HRDS IN UGANDA

THE WEEK OF 28^TH AUGUST TO 3^RD SEPTEMBER 2023

Dear Esteemed Reader,

Welcome to the month of September 2023! It is amazing how the year is running out so fast.

As a new month begins, let's renew our commitment to promoting and defending human rights and dignity of all individuals. Together, we can make a difference through the different approaches and strides such as capacity building and knowledge enhancement; advocacy and networking; research and documentation; among others to ensure that everyone lives a life worth celebration every other day.

Below are some of the stories that came through the past week:

PROMOTION OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION: GOVT COMMITS TO PROMOTING ACCESS TO EDUCATION

Govt has committed to addressing barriers limiting the population to have access to better education and promoting literacy.

While addressing the media in Kampala, ahead of the World Literacy Day slated for 8th September 2023, the state minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Sarah Mateke, noted that while there has been a milestone in expanding access to education and literacy programmes, there’s still a number of Ugandans who can’t read and write.

She said that through programmes such as the Universal Primary and Secondary Education, government is committed to ensuring expanded access to education and providing adult literacy programs to provide basic education to the adult population.

Mateeke also revealed that government has come up with the Integrated Community Learning for Wealth Creation programme, which has been updated to match learners’ needs and challenges.

According to statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the national literacy rates rose from 69% in 2006 to 73% in 2009 with an 85% increase in rural areas.

The celebrations will be held under the theme; promoting literacy for the world in transition; building the foundation for peaceful and sustainable societies.

Source: https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/govt-commits-to-promoting-access-to-education.html

UN WOMEN, CEO SUMMIT IN PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY

The United Nations entity for gender equality, UN Women has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Summit to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the corporate sector in Uganda.

Speaking at the MoU signing event held in Kampala, the UN Women country representative Dr. Paulina Chiwangu said the partnership will advance women’s economic empowerment through supporting women-owned businesses by closing gender pay gaps and fostering inclusive entrepreneurship.

Chiwangu added that these will help in knowledge-sharing and research through exchanging by conducting joint research and best practices to inform policies and actions that advance gender equality in the corporate sector.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director CEO Summit Uganda, Mr. Stephen Mukasa said the agreement represents a commitment to harnessing the power of public-private partnership to accelerate progress and create a more inclusive and gender-equal world.

Source: https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/un-women-ceo-summit-in-partnership-to-promote-gender-equality.html

TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT: YOUTH DEMAND GOV’T ASSISTANCE TO END UNEMPLOYMENT

As the festival to mark International Youth Day continues in various individual districts, the youth in Namutumba district in the Eastern part of the country, Busoga sub-region, have asked the government to take into consideration supporting youth in small and medium-sized businesses as one crucial area, which they believe will address unemployment in the area.

They contend that despite a lack of resources and expertise, many young people around the nation have attempted to at least develop various businesses and initiatives in many sectors, but many fail or even give up owing to financial difficulties among other unanticipated challenges along the road.

Source: https://capitalradio.co.ug/news/2023-08-30-namutumba-district-youth-demand-govt-assistance-to-end-unemployment/

CONCLUDING REMARKS

1.   Education is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and promotion of the right to education, as it It equips individuals with knowledge and skills, enabling them to secure better employment opportunities and higher incomes. By promoting access to education, Uganda can help its citizens lift themselves out of poverty, and gender equality. Therefore, promoting access to education is not only a matter of individual well-being but also a crucial driver of economic development, social progress, and human rights.

2.   Promoting gender equality is not only a matter of fairness and justice but also a means to improve society in various ways. It enhances economic prosperity, social well-being, and overall human development. Efforts to achieve gender equality should be central to the goals and policies of governments, organizations, and HRDs especially WHRDs.

3.   Youth skilling and employment align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal 4 (Quality Education). Investing in youth employment contributes to broader sustainability efforts and their wellbeing.

Thank you for reading. Happy new week