Post-war economic opportunities in northern Uganda: Implications for Women's Empowerment and Political Participation

This document presents a women-focused study which looks at peace dividends and their nature, as well as the direction they are taking. The overall objective is to map out economic opportunities for women in post-war northern Uganda and the implications for their broader political participation and empowerment

Towards gender responsive policy formulation and budgeting in the agricultural sector: Opportunities and challenges in Uganda

Achieving economic growth while reducing poverty in an equitable manner demands that governments in Sub-Saharan Africa commit actions and resources to address gender inequalities, even more so under a changing climate which is expected to widen social inequalities (Dankelman, 2012). Internationally, the UN asserts that achieving gender equality, development and peace must be supported by explicit budgetary allocation to targeted activities to ensure gender equality at all scales (OSAGI, 2001). Over the past two decades, Uganda has advanced gender equality and empowerment of women. Uganda’s commitment to promote gender equality and equity was confirmed by enacting the National Gender Policy (1997, revised in 2007). Other components of the political and legal efforts to tackle gender inequality include (i) the 1995 Constitution of Uganda in articles 32 (3 & 4); (ii) the Equal Opportunities Act (2007); (iii) the Public Finance Management Act (2015); and (iv) the National Development Plan II (2015/16-2019/20). However, despite all these initiatives, effective gender mainstreaming as a strategy for addressing gender inequalities remains a big challenge, as manifested by Uganda’s Gender Inequality Index of 0.538, ranking 122 out of 155 countries in the 2014 index (UNDP, 2015)

Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management in Tanzania: A Gender Policy Review

More than twenty years have passed since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, where gender mainstreaming was acknowledged as an indispensable global strategy for achieving gender equality. Since then, Tanzania has undoubtedly made efforts in mainstreaming gender in its national policies and strategies (MCDGC, 2012). However, to date some of its policies and strategies still remain gender blind or have not prioritized gender as an area for immediate action. This insufficient consideration to gender in some policy documents, coupled with limited enforcement of the policies that were drafted as gender sensitive, might hinder progress towards gender equality in the country. With climate change increasingly threatening rural livelihoods in Tanzania (Orindi and Murray 2005; Yanda et al. 2013), the need to incorporate gender considerations in the policies and programs dealing directly and indirectly with climate change issues becomes even more apparent. Indeed, if policies fail to acknowledge the different roles, opportunities, perspectives and challenges that women and men have in the face of climate change, the adaptation and mitigation measures proposed in the policies will likely fail or may even ultimately exacerbate gender inequalities (Ncube et al., 2011)

Gender and Climate Change in Uganda: Effects of Policy and Institutional Frameworks

In order to obtain an enriched understanding of the framing of gender issues in climate change related policies in Uganda and to explore its impacts on climate change adaptation at grassroots, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) analyzed the influence of current policy and institutional frameworks on gender and climate issues. The study evaluated the institutional and political context under which policies related to climate change are developed and implemented in Uganda as well as examined the gender approaches employed at different administrative levels of the government

Farmers, food and climate change: ensuring community-based adaptation is mainstreamed into agricultural programmes

Climate change creates widespread risks for food production. As climate impacts are often locally specific, it is imperative that large-scale initiatives to support smallholder farmers consider local priorities and integrate lessons from successful autonomous adaptation efforts. This article explores how large-scale programmes for smallholder adaptation to climate change might link effectively with community-led adaptation initiatives. Drawing on experiences in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda and India, this article identifies key success factors and barriers for considering local priorities, capacities and lessons in large-scale adaptation programmes. It highlights the key roles of extension services and farmers' organizations as mechanisms for linking between national-level and community-level adaptation, and a range of other success factors which include participative and locally driven vulnerability assessments, tailoring of adaptation technologies to local contexts, mapping local institutions and working in partnership across institutions. Barriers include weak governance, gaps in the regulatory and policy environment, high opportunity costs, low literacy and underdeveloped markets. The article concludes that mainstreaming climate adaptation into large-scale agricultural initiatives requires not only integration of lessons from community-based adaptation, but also the building of inclusive governance to ensure smallholders can engage with those policies and processes affecting their vulnerability

Barriers to successful climate change policy implementation in Uganda

A multi-level analysis has examined how policy processes within agriculture, forestry, natural resource- and land management in Uganda support or undermine climate change adaptive responses and policy implementation with a particular focus on the Nwoya and Rakai districts. This Info Note summarizes the findings

The Role of Policy in Facilitating Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Uganda

This study aimed at understanding the influence of policy frameworks on climate change adaptation in Uganda. It combined literature review on existing natural resource management policies, focus group discussions with farming communities and interviews with key informants across various policy implementation levels. Findings reveal that even when farmers are exposed to appropriate adaptation practices, adoption is still constrained by limited enforcement of policies and regulations. Various reasons constrain enforcement; policies are formulated through top–down approaches, NGOs and local governments are minimally involved while local communities are largely excluded. There is either lack of or existence of non-functional implementation structures prescribed by the policies. Coupled with unclear roles among actors, weak links between different administration levels, limited human and financial resources and political interference, the ability of smallholders to adopt climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is thus constrained. Due to lack of knowledge of what the policies provide for, smallholders are not able to demand their rights. There is need for more focused follow-up research on specific issues raised in this report

Rapid Rural Appraisal Report of Northern Uganda

A rapid rural appraisal (RRA) was carried out by the CIAT-IITA team in northern Uganda between 18th February and 1st March 2014. The RRA aimed to assess within and between district variations in farming systems and agricultural management practices in order to guide strategic agricultural investments and projects. The RRA used key-informant interviews, participatory workshops, transect walks, village and farm visits, as well as gender-disaggregated methods to gather information on important agriculture- related features and constraints faced by farmers

JOHN LOCKE’S THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE IN RELATION TO THE BATAGWENDA PEOPLE. A CASE OF KICHECHE SUB-COUNTY, KITAGWENDA DISTRICT, UGANDA.

Background Knowledge is a set of mental and psychological capacities that make mankind a unique, morally different creature. Although all the created may have capacities of reproduction, self-care, and memory, it is only human beings who are self-conscious, rational, and autonomous, can use language, and are responsible for their actions. This study aimed to examine the theory of knowledge according to John Locke about the Batagwenda people of Kicheche Sub-County, Kita Gwenda district, Uganda.  Methods An explorative case study design with qualitative research approaches was used. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed thematically to systematically identify, code, and report recurring patterns in a narrative form. It was augmented by a systematic literature review on the life and works of the empiricist philosopher John Locke with a focus on his theory of knowledge.   Results A total of 30 participants participated in the study. It was affirmed that knowledge is a distinct attribute proper to human beings. It is obtained through sense experience, reasoning, and revelation from God. However, knowledge is limited and all ideas should be subjected to the criteria of truth and certainty.  Conclusion Knowledge is the highest mental and psychological faculty that defines human beings other factors notwithstanding. It is limited in nature although human beings can obtain knowledge sufficient for their functions. It is obtained in many ways including experience, reasoning, and revelation. It should be subjected to proof based on truth and certainty since it cannot be wholly grasped as it is.  Recommendation There should be a constant search for knowledge through interactive experiences, reading, and meditation. It requires substantiation based on truth and certainty because it is relative. It should be sought and guarded jealously because it makes human beings unique while fostering a natural tendency toward perfection

Effects of Phase Feeding During Gestation on Gilt Performance, Offspring Quality and Robustness

A total of 51 gilts in 6 blocks were randomly assigned to one of 3 feeding regimens: Constant (Constant-f), 2.21 kg/d of a standard diet from breeding to d 112 of gestation (1.7 g Lys/kcal ME; 3276 kcal ME/kg); Bump feeding (Bump-f), the standard diet at 2.21 kg/d from breeding to d 89 and 2.61 kg/d from d 90 - 112; Phase feeding (Phase-f ), 2.21 kg/d from breeding to d 89 (1.5 g Lys/kcal ME; 3275 kcal ME/kg) and 2.61 kg/d from d 90 - 112 (2.1 g Lys/Kcal ME; 3290 Kcal ME/kg) over 2 reproductive cycles. Sows received a common lactation diet from d 113 to weaning and weaned pigs received common diets post weaning. To assess gilt performance, BW, back fat, litter size, colostrum protein content and lactation feed intake were measured. To assess piglet quality and robustness, cord blood cortisol, liver and muscle glycogen at birth, immunocrit, serum IGF-1 concentrations, piglet birth weight distribution, weekly BW, and weaned pig feed intake and immune responses were measured. Data were analyzed in SAS using the Mixed and Correlation procedures in a completely randomized block design with gilt or sow as the experimental unit. Feeding regimen had minimal effects on overall gilt and sow performance. In parity 1, piglets from Phase-f gilts tended to have greater (P = 0.13) cord blood cortisol than piglets from Bump-f and Constant-f sows, tended to have a higher proportion (P = 0.07) of piglets born alive in a mid-body weight category than piglets from Bump-f sows and weaned pigs from Phase-f sows consumed more feed (P = 0.03) than weaned pigs from Constant-f sows when exposed to a nutritional stressor. In Parity 2, piglets from Phase-f sows tended (P = 0.07) to gain more weight in week 3 of lactation, gained more weight post wean (P = 0.05), and pigs from Phase-f sows tended to consume more feed (P = 0.07) when exposed to a nutritional stressor than pigs from Constant-f and Bump-f sows. Piglets and weaned pigs from Phase-f sows had better performance than those from Bump-f and Constant-f sows