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Letter from Dora Byamukama
Dear Participants,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the African Women’s Leadership Project. Working together with the Club of Madrid, its associates and partners, our aim is to strengthen female political leadership, build greater public confidence in women political leaders, and expand women’s political participation in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
I am speaking to you as a woman with rich experience as a political leader in Uganda. I am currently a Member of the East African Legislative Assembly, elected for the period 2007-2012, though I have served in several capacities prior to this post. As a Member of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda (2001-2006), I represented 24 million Ugandans. I also served as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Legal and Affairs Committee, and moved the First Private Members Bill in the 7th Parliament titled an “Act for Persons With Disability”, which was enacted into law in 2006.
I have faced the challenges of election and re-election, particularly the ones women are met with due to their legal and social positions in their country. I lost re-election as a Member of Parliament, due to inequalities in Uganda’s Succession law. The provision that a woman’s domicile automatically changes when she marries and reverts to that of where she is born upon legal separation made it difficult for me to stand and win elections in the place I am married. This legal inconsistency (it does not apply to men!) did not stop me from pursuing my goals. Failure to make it as my party’s candidate in the Primaries did not stop me from running for the East African Legislative Assembly-in August 2006. I won the elections and I will serve in the Regional Parliament - composed on Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, which represents a total of about 210 million people.
You may wonder what motivated me to become a politician. My family and my upbringing have been very influential. Growing up, my own mother set a good example for me. Sometimes I would accompany her as she carried out her duties as a Mothers Union Leader for the District. Her addresses to women on issues ranging from home management to child care opened my eyes to a new world where women had a lot of influence. My father was also very supportive. He gave me all the opportunities that I needed to be the best that I can be in any field. Education has been an important factor in reaching my goals. I excelled in school and used the opportunities available to take on leadership positions and responsibilities. I went to Makerere University to study law, and then continued on to pursue a Masters degree in law at Georgetown University, in the U.S., knowing full well that it would propel me to higher political levels in Uganda.
My career as a politician has not been without its obstacles. I’ve faced many challenges, perhaps the most obstinate one being that I am a woman. I have found that, whereas one’s sex is usually the opponent’s first line of attack such as calling one a prostitute and fabricating all manner of negative stories about the person; this ‘obstacle’ can be turned into a strength when a woman appeals to the population’s sentiment of the need to respect mothers, sisters and wives… and the values they represent in society. I have also learned not to be drawn to mud slinging and to stay focused in the issues. This solution in the final analysis works very well because people are able to appreciate that you are more serious about their interests than being engaged in personal attacks.
As a politician, I have learned several other lessons throughout the years. For example, it’s important to development reliable support network of family and friends. Also keep in mind that the propensity to be drawn into making promises that one cannot deliver on is very strong in politics. This is very dangerous because failure to deliver on promises can make one lose credibility. A successful politician needs to be a good money manager, and know how to inculcate a volunteer following. Another important fact to keep in mind is that the media is the oxygen of politics. It’s a valuable tool, but one that you are not immune to!
Remember to understand your political landscape. Inform yourself by reading, attending meetings, asking questions and creating a group of like minded people to brain storm on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the environment. You should also try to secure mentors and learn from those who have gone before you. You’ll need an open mind to secure the confidence of people and to identify persons with good records of mentoring women. You can also look to other women leaders in your community and in the region for support and guidance.
Remember to understand your political landscape. Inform yourself by reading, attending meetings, asking questions and creating a group of like minded people to brain storm on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the environment. You should also try to secure mentors and learn from those who have gone before you. You’ll need an open mind to secure the confidence of people and to identify persons with good records of mentoring women. You can also look to other women leaders in your community and in the region for support and guidance.
I wish you support and success!
Dora Byamukama
More advice from Dora
Remember:
- The need to fundraise, prepare, and endure as well as the famous 'MOM': Message, Organization, and Money. A delicate balance has to be struck between the three ingredients by budgeting for critical inputs like the media, transport, meals and stationary.
- Media is the oxygen of politics. You need to deal with the media constructively - make friends with them, but always be on your guard.
- Be in touch with the constituency
- Associate yourself with the work of civil society organizations working in the area and to look out for opportunities that keep you visible and associated with development.
- Always have clearly identified projects to work on, focus on issues, develop a thick skin especially when attacked by the media or negative talk.
- Ensure that one establishes "monuments"...clear and visible examples of work accomplished in Parliament, the Constituency and Personal achievements.
Challenges:
- Preparing your family for the changes that come with political office, taking into account that it changes the male/female status quo and that it touches on power relations. This transition is a challenge that we women have to take seriously even as we nurture, educate and strive for increased participation of women in politics.
- The issue of complacency. Most women are cautious and want to play it safe. Women should realize that one can never be ready enough and even if one is ready there maybe other factors which may impede success. Power is not given, it is taken. We need to increasingly learn to take the risks. It is by participating that women can make politics more safe and less of a dirty game. If one fails, one needs to appreciate that in failing, there are very good lessons learnt and mileage gained through the experience and by the visibility created!
Indeed success is failure turned upside down!
Dora Byamukama is a Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (2006-2011). She was a Member of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda from 2001-2006. MP Byamukama is also a member of the National Disciplinary Committee of the National Resistance Movement, and the Legal Committee which provides for the Gender Committee. She wrote a number of research papers while attending Georgetown University Law Center. She co-founded the Law and Advocacy for Women in Uganda (LAW-Uganda) NGO in 1997.
Page last updated: July 12,2007
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