By Denis Mukisa
National Women’s Council Chairperson Hajjat Faridah Kibowa has been nominated to seek a second term, pledging to strengthen grassroots women’s empowerment programmes, enhance leadership at community level and expand the council’s role in addressing social challenges affecting women and families.
Kibowa was officially nominated ahead of the forthcoming National Women’s Council elections, in which candidates from different political parties will compete for leadership positions.
Speaking during a press briefing at her home in Nazigo Ward, Nazigo Town Council in Kayunga District, Kibowa appealed to women across the country to support leaders committed to improving their welfare and advancing community development.
She urged voters to participate actively in the elections at village, district and national levels, saying the quality of leadership elected would determine how effectively women benefit from government programmes.
Kibowa also called on leaders to intensify the fight against corruption, echoing President Yoweri Museveni’s “Kisanja Hakuna Kulala” campaign, which encourages continuous hard work and vigilance in public service.
Established in 1993 under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the National Women’s Council was created to promote the political, social and economic empowerment of women by providing a platform through which they can participate in decision-making and access government development programmes.
Reflecting on her first term, Kibowa said one of her major achievements was increasing public awareness about the council’s mandate and making its work more visible across the country. She added that she successfully lobbied for a dedicated budget for the council at a time when it had no direct funding, enabling it to carry out more activities aimed at empowering women.
If re-elected, Kibowa said she would strengthen women’s structures at the village level by training leaders on advocacy and lobbying for local development priorities. She also pledged to equip women with practical skills to address domestic violence, reduce family breakdown, prevent child marriages and teenage pregnancies, and promote the welfare of the girl child.
She said her next term would place greater emphasis on involving men in Women’s Council programmes, arguing that tackling gender-based violence and strengthening families requires the participation of both women and men.
Kibowa also encouraged expectant mothers to seek maternal healthcare services from government health facilities instead of relying on traditional birth attendants. She said the continued use of unskilled birth attendants has contributed to preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
She further urged citizens not to boycott the forthcoming elections, saying participation gives voters the mandate to demand accountability from elected leaders.
“When people do not participate in elections, they weaken their ability to hold leaders accountable because they did not take part in choosing them,” Kibowa said.
Several women in Kayunga District expressed confidence in Kibowa’s leadership, saying her first term helped increase women’s participation in leadership and community development initiatives. They said her achievements had motivated them to support her bid for another term.
The forthcoming National Women’s Council elections will determine whether Kibowa secures a second term to continue leading the body responsible for promoting women’s participation in governance and development across Uganda.
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