Job Namanya | Tayari News
KAMPALA – As Uganda prepares to join the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, the Government has sent a clear signal that the next frontier for gender equality lies within the corridors of the judiciary.
Addressing the press at the Uganda Media Centre on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Peace Regis Mutuuzo, unveiled a national strategy centred on “Scaling up Investments to Accelerate Access to Justice for all Women and Girls in Uganda”.
The Minister revealed a sobering reality regarding the legal hurdles facing women, specifically highlighting a massive backlog in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases that continues to deny survivors timely redress.
Citing a recent court census report released by the Judiciary, Mutuuzo detailed how the weight of unresolved crimes is disproportionately felt by women and girls.
According to the report, GBV case backlogs now constitute a staggering 32.42% of the total national case backlog, with 3,636 pending cases of defilement and 3,296 cases of aggravated defilement.
In the High Court alone, there are 4,888 pending cases, with 1,818 of these having languished in the system for more than two years. At the Chief Magistrates’ level, the system is struggling with 4,816 GBV cases, of which 865 are officially classified as backlog.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Mutuuzo told reporters, noting that these delays often push women away from formal courts and toward informal community mechanisms.
She, however, warned that these informal systems are often characterised by patriarchal biases and unequal power dynamics that further entrench impunity.
To combat these barriers, the Minister outlined several institutional pillars already in place to support survivors, including the Gender and Children Desks within the Uganda Police Force and the specialised Sexual Offences Department at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The Judiciary has also appointed a Gender Focal Judge and established Family and Children Courts that utilise child-friendly procedures.
To further accelerate the pace, the government is leaning on technology and alternative dispute resolution, including electronic case management systems and virtual court sessions aimed at bridging the gap for those who cannot travel long distances.
A significant portion of the Minister’s address focused on the economic dimensions of justice. Dr Mutuuzo argued that a woman’s ability to escape violence or assert her rights is intrinsically linked to her financial independence.
Through the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), the government has already financed 21,948 women’s group enterprises, directly benefiting 235,114 women. Additionally, in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, 24,228 youth enterprises received funding totalling Shs. 191.336 billion, with at least 30% of the 271,211 beneficiaries being female.
Uganda continues to make strides in political representation, which Mutuuzo noted is essential for gender-sensitive law-making. In the current 11th Parliament, women constitute 34.5% of members, while at the Cabinet level, Women Ministers comprise 45% of the leadership.
In Local Governments, women hold 45.7% of leadership positions. Despite these gains, the Minister pointed out that structural barriers such as harmful social norms and limited legal literacy remain stubborn obstacles that undermine women’s ability to seek redress.
The national celebrations will take place this Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. H.E. President Y.K. Museveni will be the Chief Guest, overseeing an event that aims to reaffirm the country’s shared responsibility toward its daughters, mothers, and sisters.