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News release

Ugandan women still face barriers to equality in education, employment, and politics, Afrobarometer study shows

11 Sep 2024 Uganda
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News release
Key findings
  • In Uganda, women are less likely than men to have progressed to secondary school (39% vs. 49%) (Figure 1).
  • Among working-age adults, men are more likely than women to be employed (50% vs. 39%) (Figure 2).
  • More than one-third (36%) of citizens report that husbands or other family members “often” or “always” prevent women from taking paid employment (Figure 3).
  • More than one-third (35%) of citizens say schoolgirls “often” or “always” face discrimination, harassment, and requests for sexual favours from their teachers (Figure 4).
  • More than three-fourths (78%) of Ugandans say women should have the same chance as men of being elected to public office, a 12-percentage-point increase compared to 2012 (66%) but down 6 points since 2022 (84%) (Figure 5).

Despite progress toward gender equality, Ugandan women continue to face  discrimination, harassment, and barriers in various facets of life, Afrobarometer’s latest survey reveals. 

Survey findings show that Ugandan women are less likely than men to have higher  education and paying jobs. Significant minorities report that husbands and relatives  prevent women from taking employment and that sexual harassment of women and  girls in public spaces, including schools, is common. 

And while a majority of citizens support women’s equal chance at being elected to  public office, the share who espouse this view has declined since Afrobarometer’s  previous survey in 2022.