The Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), a non-partisan feminist organization, has launched its innovative LeadHERship Digital Resource Hub, a virtual platform designed to empower women candidates in Uganda’s upcoming 2026 general elections.
According to Patricia Munabi Babiiha, FOWODE’s Executive Director, the organization has been working tirelessly to promote women’s participation in political leadership and address the systemic barriers that hinder women from pursuing and thriving in these positions.
FOWODE was born in 1995 with the vision of creating “A just and fair society where women and men equally participate in and benefit from decision-making processes.” For over three decades, the organization has led initiatives to increase women’s participation and leadership in political processes, equipping over 3,000 women leaders with the knowledge and skills to place women’s needs at the core of debates, policies, legislation, and budgets.
Despite these efforts, women in Uganda continue to face significant challenges in politics. Affirmative action has raised the floor for women’s representation, but the ceiling remains stubbornly low. Uganda’s 11th parliament has only 33.8% female representation, with a mere 7.4% holding direct seats. The situation at the local government level is even more challenging, with only 6 women (4.11%) serving as LCV Chairpersons compared to their 140 male counterparts (95.89%).
The recently concluded NRM party primaries exposed women candidates and voters to intense, gendered intimidation, including gun violence and destruction of property. Such electoral violence “silences” women politicians and voters and could cast a pall over women’s campaigns going into the 2026 elections.
In response to these challenges, FOWODE has developed the LeadHERship Digital Resource Hub, a transformative virtual platform designed to support and amplify women’s participation in political processes. The hub will provide accessible, up-to-date, and empowering content for aspiring women candidates, addressing the limitations and exclusion of some women based on budget constraints for physical engagements.
Munabi emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating that “FOWODE has been intentional about integrating digital literacy and technology into all its trainings to empower women to harness digital tools for political engagement, leadership development, and amplifying their voices in public spaces.” By promoting women’s digital uptake and utilization, FOWODE aims to bridge the information gap and enable more women to access, influence, and lead within political and governance processes.
The launch event will feature a live demonstration of the hub, a media Q&A session, and a photo moment with selected leaders and guests. The press conference seeks to officially unveil the LeadHERship Digital Resource Hub and generate widespread visibility and engagement with the platform. It will also offer an opportunity to spark public dialogue around the importance of informed, inclusive, and gender-responsive elections in Uganda.
The specific objectives of the press conference include:
- Publicly launching the Digital Resource Hub for Women in Elections and encouraging usage among the public, especially aspiring women candidates.
- Generating positive media coverage and digital buzz around women’s leadership and rallying the public to support women in the upcoming elections.
- Enhancing FOWODE’s visibility and solidifying its position as a key thought leader in advancing women’s political participation.
Through this initiative, FOWODE aims to increase awareness and traffic to the platform among women and key stakeholders, generate media coverage on major TV, radio, print, and digital platforms, and strengthen momentum for women’s participation in the 2026 general elections.
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