The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth believes that no peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa can be fully achieved without the involvement of women.
The Speaker said in a post of X (formerly Twitter) this morning that women need to occupy positions of leadership and be supported to take critical decisions.
He made this remarks on his official X account on Monday morning as he joined women parliamentarians and the delegates at the 12 member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for the opening of the Women Parliamentary Conference 2026.
The conference is taking place at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
“Lasting peace in our region cannot be built without women at the heart of leadership and decision-making,” he wrote.
The conference, which runs until 5 November, has brought together legislators from across the region under the theme “For a Peaceful and Developed Great Lakes Region.” The Speaker said the theme had come at the right time.
“Conflict in one-member state rarely stays within its borders,” he said.
“The countries must work together to build peace and development,” he noted.
He bserved that “We share a history of the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. But at the same time, our brotherly and sisterly ties encourage our 12 nations to find peaceful solutions together for the benefit of our people.”
A young region with much at stake
The Speaker also spoke about what the region stands to gain or lose. About 455 million people live in the ICGLR states, and most of them are young. Together, the countries have an economy of about US$600 billion, growing at between 4.5 and 5 per cent a year, a little faster than the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.
But the average person still earns only about US$1,300 a year. The Speaker warned that global economic shocks and conflict, especially the war in Sudan, could wipe out the progress made so far.
“Our young population is our greatest asset, but only if peace allows us to invest in their skills, jobs and future,” he said.
Parliaments at work
The Speaker said the region’s Parliaments, working through the Forum of Parliaments of the ICGLR (FP-ICGLR), are turning shared commitments on peacebuilding, gender equity and regional integration into action that changes people’s lives.
He is accompanied by Hon. Ofwono Opondo, Hon. Niringiyimana James Kaberuka, Hon. Amaniyo Draville Sheilah and Hon. Nankwanga Stella.
“Together, we are carrying Uganda’s firm belief that our prosperity is bound to that of our neighbours,” he said.
The Speaker thanked the Parliament of Tanzania for hosting the delegates.
