FSD UgandaAssessing National Funding for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Uganda
FSD Uganda was part of the advisory committee of a Publish What You Fund (PWYF) project that assessed national funding for women’s economic empowerment (WEE), women’s financial inclusion (WFI), women’s empowerment collectives (WECs), and gender integration (GI) in Uganda. The project also assessed funding in Ethiopia and Pakistan.
The team worked with public expenditure experts to examine national and sub-national funding for WEE, WFI and WECs for the last five years. These outputs stem from the PWYF WEE project, which is building evidence to inform better investment decisions.
The Uganda based report assesses the national funding to WEE, WFI, and WECs over five years: financial year 2016/17 to 2020/21. The report details the budget process, highlighting gender and equity (G&E) planning and budgeting. The analysis establishes the amount of funding appropriated to gender-responsive interventions, the proportion of appropriated funds released, and the proportion effectively utilised. The areas of focus included sectors that implement explicit programmes and/or interventions on women and girls to economically empower them, namely: health, education, social development, agriculture, water and environment, and energy.
The study used a mixed-methods approach, including the quantitative and qualitative analysis of primary data sources and key informant interviews (KIIs). This study ascertains the extent to which and the areas wherein the Government of Uganda (GoU) has over the years contributed to improved quality of life and equal opportunities for women and girls in accessing, benefiting, and participating in development programmes.
The reports provide useful insights for policymakers and gender advocates to support better funding approaches to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. It also includes recommendations for improving the transparency of women’s economic empowerment funding.
