Ahead of the commemoration of International Women’s Day tomorrow, Betty Amongi, the line Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development has asked girls and women to take up spaces related to sciences and excel in their different endeavours.  

The minister, who addressed journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, urged females to fill the gap that has existed for a long in accessing ICT, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

The global theme for the 2023 International Women’s Day celebration is, “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.”

The theme for the 2023 Women’s Day national celebration is “Equal Opportunities in Education, Science and Technology for Innovation and Gender Equal Future.” In line with the theme, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi encouraged females to move and occupy spaces in the science and ICT fields.

The minister cited retrogressive social norms and stereotypes as some of the factors that have kept girls behind in terms of pursuing the sciences. She noted with concern that some parents and other members of society allocate specific roles for girls and others for boys and this is reflected in the way the children are raised at home.

Uganda’s Vision 2040 places ICT as a fundamental aspect to foster Uganda’s transformation into a modern and prosperous country. However, studies have shown that females remain disproportionately underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Amongi says a number of women are already engaged in these fields and so it is possible to achieve equality.

Uganda will join the global community to commemorate International Women’s Day on 8th March 2023, with the national celebrations at Sanga Playgrounds in Kiruhura District.