Uganda

Since 2007, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) has been actively engaged in Uganda, working to foster more inclusive, accountable, and transparent democratic systems and institutions. Our programmes have consistently supported and continue to promote greater access and inclusion for structurally disadvantaged groups—including women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs)—in both formal and informal political processes, while also strengthening the capacity of Uganda’s democratic institutions. In addition, WFD has facilitated rigorous scrutiny of government performance, including through evaluations of progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key areas of work

Women’s political leadership

Parliament’s proactive stance on inclusive reforms for women, girls, and marginalised groups reflects our commitment to more inclusive governance. We work with champions and civil society organisations to support their efforts in promoting relevant policies and legislation.

Accountability and transparency

WFD provides training on post-legislative scrutiny (PLS) methodologies for both parliaments and civil society, supported by a WFD e-course. PLS involves reviewing legislation—with input from civil society, academia, and government—to assess whether laws are achieving their intended impact. We are also working with Accountability Champions in parliament to deliver greater scrutiny and response. WFD collaborates with academia, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and parliament to create a more responsive and accountable legislative process.

Inclusion

WFD creates and strengthens existing platforms that enable marginalised groups—such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs)—to actively participate in policymaking processes. These efforts help ensure that their voices are heard and considered in the development and implementation of inclusive laws and policies.

Environmental democracy (ED)

WFD Uganda creates platforms and facilitates coordination between state and non-state actors to deliberate on issues related to Environmental Democracy. These efforts aim to inform and influence public policy, legislation, and the scrutiny of government performance on climate change commitments and ambitions. We connect national actors with the most affected groups to build consensus around a shared vision for safe and sustainable development—for both people and the planet.

Current programmes

WFD is working in Uganda to strengthen the capacity of both state and non-state actors to promote inclusive governance, human rights, and accountable public institutions. Through strategic partnerships with parliament, civil society, and inclusion champions, WFD supports collective action to protect rights, influence policy development, and improve public oversight. Key areas of focus include enhancing the effectiveness of parliamentary committees, especially those focused on accountability and human rights, empowering youth and women leaders to advocate for change, supporting post-legislative scrutiny, and advancing environmental democracy. By creating platforms for dialogue and coordination, WFD ensures that national policies are responsive to citizens’ needs and that democratic processes are transparent, inclusive, and participatory.

Completed programmes

Strengthening national youth participation and representation in Parliament of Uganda

This programme supported the Uganda National Dialogue Process to mobilise and organise women and young people from across the different regions of Uganda to achieve three inter-related objectives:

Enhance the understanding of women and young people about the mission, goals and anticipated outcomes of the process
Discuss the proposed dialogue themes and present specific issues of interest to the relevant decision-making spaces in the process
Improve their organisation to sustain demand on the process to ensure that it addresses the concerns particular to women and young people.

Status

Completed

East African commonwealth youth leaders programme

To place young people at the forefront of the regional development agenda of the EAC, WFD in partnership with youth organisations across the East African Community (EAC) implemented the East African Commonwealth Youth Leaders Initiative. The initiative provided a platform for youth leaders to raise their voices and meaningfully participate in discussions about governance issues which affect development in the region. WFD also promoted the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG). We did this by identifying stakeholders, convening key youth actors in governance, and engaging the Uganda legislature to push for the signing, ratification, and domestication of ACDEG. This initiative was delivered through the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D).

Status

Completed

Commonwealth Equality Project, Uganda (2020-2021)

Commonwealth Equality Project (CEP) programming interventions aimed at promoting gender inclusion of women and girls through the revision of gender policies which included sexual offences, succession amendment bills as well as re-entry and retention of teenage mothers in schools. Over the six months of implementation, WFD worked to support the development of skills and tools of civil society actors and build collaborative relationship between civil society and decision makers, convening a series of roundtable discussions and opportunities for engagement. The programme strengthened the internal organisational capacity of gender inclusion focused civil society organisations CSOs) and human rights defenders, supported them to develop tools and knowledge to address inequality and the marginalisation of women and girls.

Status

Completed

Global Equality Project (GEP) Phase 1 (August 2021-March 2022)

Uganda’s GEP 1 Project set out to promote gender equality among women, girls and other groups by contributing to the creation of responsive policy and legal frameworks that address their needs.

It created avenues between MPs, civil society organisations and other key stakeholders in Uganda, promoted gender equality among women, girls, and other minority groups by contributing to the creation of responsive policy and legal frameworks that address their needs.

Status

Completed

Strengthening women and youth participation and representation in Uganda (2017-2019)

Funded by the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), the purpose of the project was to create an enabling environment for women and youth resulting from gender and youth-sensitive policies and laws. WFD supported the creation of responsive and better coordinated policy and legal frameworks at the national level. We did this by helping to increase the participation and representation of youth and women in the policy-making process, and facilitating pro youth, women, and gender-sensitive legislation.

Status

Completed

East African commonwealth youth leaders programme (CP4D 2019-2020)

The objective of this programme was to place young people at the forefront of the regional development agenda of the EAC, WFD in partnership with youth organisations across the East African Community (EAC) implemented the East African Commonwealth Youth Leaders Initiative. The initiative provided a platform for youth leaders to raise their voices and meaningfully participate in discussions about governance issues which affect development in the region. WFD also promoted the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG). We did this by identifying stakeholders, convening key youth actors in governance, and engaging the Uganda legislature to push for the signing, ratification, and domestication of ACDEG. The key achievement of this Programme was the creation of an active platform that brings together the different East African Youth Leaders’ to share good practices for advocacy lobbying and issue-based youth engagement. Through this platform WFD organised the first ever East African Youth Parliament that resulted in EALA members resolving to institutionalise the East African Youth Assembly session within the EALA as an annual event. The East African youth Assembly is now fully recognised as an annual event.

Status

Completed

Key results

Promoted Environmental Democracy (ED) and established the Environmental Parliament

WFD worked with key stakeholders to create an Environmental Parliament, enabling ED Champions to influence parliamentary practices—for example, in areas such as budget compliance.

Icon of hands holding together in circular path

Advanced legislation to be more inclusive

WFD supported parliament in amending the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) Act in favour of companies owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

Supported youth initiatives

Supported the first East African Youth parliament on the ratification and domestication of African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).