Celebrating Phenomenal Ugandan Women This Women’s Day

International Women’s Day was first globally celebrated by the United Nations in 1975, after having begun in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911. It has been celebrated every year since on the 8th of March, with the intent to acknowledge the achievements of women worldwide, as well as to bring light to the specific issues women face all over the world, in hope for them to be rectified. We have come a long way since 1911, that’s for sure.

Today as we celebrate how far women have come over the years, in the fashion and entertainment industry in Uganda, women have not only taken up the majority of the innovators and news makers in the industry. Music, fashion, movies – the arts are being dominated by amazing women, inspiring the coming generations to consider artistic endeavors as well.

Not only are they saturated in the creative spaces, but looking at fashion in particular, women are almost single handedly holding up the industry as consumers of homegrown apparel. Ever wonder why there are decidedly more women’s wear brands than menswear? That’s why. Today we celebrate these women as well, the ones who aren’t in the spotlight, but are impacting the industry in the one way that matters. Across the world, Uganda has the most entrepreneurial women, ranking first at 38.2% of female owners as a percentage of total business owners, followed by Ghana. Whether that is simply out of necessity or pure shrewdness, here we are nonetheless, dominating the business world.

While we celebrate, there is still the somber reality of what is happening to the younger women among us. School girls have, after the long lockdown, registered the highest numbers of underage pregnancies, not to mention their menstrual health issues are still largely ignored (or played up as a cheap political play). We need to take care of our young to make sure they have the opportunity to reach where the greats have, and higher still.

The sad state of things should not qualm hope, as resilience to overcome impossible situations is sort of our trademark as women. While we are on our way to a different age where suffering is not necessarily aligned with womanhood, we ought to stand and support the women in worse situations than ourselves if we are in position to. Happy Women’s Day!

atwiine@satisfashionug.com