Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.

Women under the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) have petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga and the President demanding that they too should be considered while appointing the leadership of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

The call as a concern by women activities who say none of them have ever been appointed as chairpersons to the electoral commission yet they have the capabilities to perform the job.

The petition was on Friday handed over to Kadaga by the members from UWONET, Action for Development (ACFODE), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), ISIS, WICC, and FIDAUganda, Akina mama wa Africa and Centre for Women in Governance.
While presenting the petition to Kadaga on behalf of the women organizations, the Executive Director of the FOWODE), Patricia Munabi also handed over a list of  eight names of women on which the President should select while appointing the new electoral commission leadership .

Former Ethics Minister, Miria Matembe among women leaders fronted for consideration to takeover EC.

Among the women to be selected from the list  includes; former minister for ethics,  Miria Matembe ,former deputy secretary general of the East African  legislative assembly, Beatrice Kiraso ,the chairperson of Uganda Women’s Network, Tezira Jamwa ,Irene Ovonji from Fida –Uganda ,Solome Nakawesa from,Christine Lawoka ,Dr.ZaharaNampeewo  and Prof Florence Ahikire who is the dean school woman and Gender at Makerere University.

Munabi is concerned that the current electoral commission leadership has only two women, adding that the president should consider appointment of at least four women into the leadership the electoral commission.

She said that women are even capable of being the chairperson of this commission given the expertise and diligence they brought to positions of leadership when entrusted with authority in government institutions.
The women are also demanding that parliament considers and takes note of their issues when time comes for vetting and appointing of the new leadership of the electoral commission by the President replacing the outgoing leadership headed by Dr.BadruKiggundu.

Kadaga welcomed the women’s effort and promised to bring the attention of the President to the matter.