Accelerating Gender Equality Through Action in Uganda
This International Women’s Day, under the theme “Accelerating Action for Gender Equality,” Uganda joins the world in celebrating women’s strides and confronting the barriers still blocking their path. Women, who form 51% of Uganda’s population, remain pivotal to the nation’s progress yet systemic challenges like gender inequality, limited reproductive health access, and cultural biases hold them back. Nowhere is the call for accelerated action more urgent than in empowering women to control their futures.
Young Ugandan women, particularly those aged 15-35, face stark disparities. Early childbearing affects 23.5% of girls aged 15-19, often derailing education and opportunity, while only 58% of the demand for modern contraceptives is met. These gaps, rooted in unequal access to education, economic resources, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, perpetuate cycles of disadvantage, especially in rural areas. Gender-based violence and delayed legal protections further compound the struggle, leaving women underrepresented in decision-making and underserved in health systems.
MSUG’s Commitment
Marie Stopes Uganda (MSUG) leads the charge for gender equity, delivering client-centered sexual and reproductive health (SRH) solutions that break down barriers. Spanning every district, MSUG’s innovative channels (20 mobile outreach clinics, 14 private health facilities, a Kampala maternity hospital, and mentorship of 1,880 public health workers across 783 government facilities in 98 districts) bring essential services directly to women. Socially marketed products, including Lifeguard and Flame condoms, Well-Plan Daily Contraceptive, and Back-Up Emergency Pill, also expand access, while digital platforms and flyers amplify SRH education to urban and rural communities alike.
Our 2024 impact numbers speak volumes:
- 2,549,992 total family planning users reached in Uganda
- 2,337 maternal deaths averted
- Prevented 1,155,818 million unintended pregnancies
- 2,439,601 family planning couple years of protection achieved
- Averted 497,437 unsafe abortions
- Reached 197,691 young people with reproductive health information and services
These outcomes don’t just improve health, they unlock potential. By ensuring women can plan their families, MSUG empowers them to pursue education, careers, and leadership, directly accelerating gender equality.
A Call to Action
This Women’s Day, MSUG urges three priorities to break systemic barriers:
- Expand access by delivering modern contraceptives and family planning to underserved regions to reduce unintended pregnancies and their ripple effects.
- Empower through knowledge by leveraging digital tools to raise SRH awareness to equip women with the information to shape their lives.
- Champion equity by supporting women’s agency over their bodies and futures, a cornerstone of true gender equality.
Women are Uganda’s backbone, vital to its social, economic, and political fabric. Accelerating action means tearing down the obstacles that silence their voices and limit their choices.
With organizations like Marie Stopes leading the charge, 2025 can mark a turning point: a Uganda where every woman thrives, equal and unstoppable.
Happy International Women’s Day!
