Speaking during a regional consultation meeting at Busoga Lukiko Hall in Jinja City, Joyce Abaliwano, the Busoga Kingdom Minister for Children and Women Affairs and a Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, emphasized the importance of active child participation.
"Children face many critical issues that often go unheard. It is prudent to involve them in decision-making processes to ensure their voices shape solutions to challenges they encounter," Abaliwano stated.
The decision emerged from input gathered during the development of the Busoga Kingdom Child Safeguarding Policy and the strategic plan for "Ekigangu kya Busoga" from young women and girls in four She Leads implementation districts: Bugiri, Iganga, Buyende, and Kamuli.
Abaliwano also highlighted the need for a balanced empowerment approach.
"While focusing on girls' empowerment is crucial, we must not neglect boys. An empowered girl alongside a less empowered boy creates an imbalance that may lead to gender-based violence," she cautioned.
Paul Mudoba, Project Manager for the Multi-Community Based Development Initiative (MUCOBADI), reported significant progress in empowering girls and young women.
Through 48 platforms, MUCOBADI has trained 18 groups in business skills and supported three Girls and Young Women Alliances, reaching nearly 300 new individuals with awareness campaigns.
Betty Habene, President of the Busoga Girls and Young Women Alliance, reinforced the She Leads program's goal of increasing the influence of girls and young women in decision-making.
"We are empowering local organizations to share positive messages on gender equality and inclusion to build safer and healthier communities," she stated.
The Alliance raised concerns about sugarcane plantations and gold mines, which have exacerbated school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and child marriages.
To address these issues, they called for the establishment of functional child safeguarding committees at the chiefdom level, linked to district committees for effective enforcement.
“There is nothing for us without us. Our representation, input, and voices must be seen, heard, and included in policies meant for children, youth, and women," Habene declared, emphasizing the need for grassroots policy enforcement and community engagement.
The She Leads Uganda consortium, consisting of child rights and feminist organizations like Terre des Hommes Netherlands, Plan International, and FEMNET, alongside seven local civil society organizations, is working closely with Busoga Kingdom to drive this initiative.
By establishing the Children’s Parliament and strengthening community-based structures, the kingdom and its partners hope to create a platform where children can directly influence policies and interventions that affect their lives, fostering a safer and more equitable future for all.