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A Woman Before Her Time

December 15, 2011 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, Blog, building leadership, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy, social enterpreneur, UNWE, Women empowerment

Maama Theresa Mbire has always been described as a woman beyond her time! Trained as teacher and then widowed early in life, she applied her energies to raising six children. In an era when many women would have looked to re-marrying as an easy way out, Theresa started a string of business enterprises, which was predominantly a male domain of action.

In 1973, she established the first modern bakery that could produce sliced bread in Uganda. Eager to empower others, she applied her teaching background and additional training in hotel management to pursue her passion of working with women to facilitate their economic empowerment.

Some of the women focused initiatives she has helped to initiate include the Uganda Women’s Entrepreneurs Association Ltd. Maama Mbire is a serial business entrepreneur who oversees a business empire and believes that “the sky is just the beginning!”

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Do Not Lament, Just Do It!

December 15, 2011 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, building leadership, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur, UNWE, WLN, Women empowerment

Noerine Kaleeba is the founder of ‘The Aids Support Organization’ (TASO), a household name in Uganda and the region in as far as treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS is concerned.

TASO exists because of the dedication of 15 individuals who, led by Noerine, boldly set out to contain the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in the 1980’s. Since 1987 when the institution was opened, Noerine has tirelessly dedicated her strength to building the institution, which has become a center of excellence and dedication to changing mindsets about people living with HIV/AIDS and bringing a sense of purpose back to victims of the disease.

Noerine is an inspiration to us all.

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Hope Okeny: On Call for a Generation at Risk

December 14, 2011 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, Blog, building leadership, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur, UNWE, WLN, Women empowerment

Gulu, Uganda

Hope Okeny is the proprietor of Karin Children’s Medical Center in Agonga Parish, Gulu. She started up this medical facility in 2005 in answer to the great need for medical services by vulnerable families in this area. After the war in northern Uganda subsided, medical care and other facilities were availed to several areas, excluding this little Parish.

Over the years, Karin Medical Center has successfully provided qualitative health facilities for residents in Agonga parish, including antenatal healthcare, child immunization against preventable diseases and easy accessibility to clinical drugs.

During a, iCON Leadership Enhancement Seminar that she attended in Gulu, Hope Read the rest of this entry →

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Gulu Business Women Lead Social Transformation in Northern Uganda

December 14, 2011 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, Blog, building leadership, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy, social enterpreneur, UNWE, WLN, Women empowerment

After the 20 year long war in northern Uganda, Gulu was devastated by the conflict, and its people, even worse. The condition of Women, who for long had been trampled underfoot by society worsened as the economy struggled to get back on its feet.

However, iCON, through its Women Leader’s Network launched the “Women in Business Fellowship”, a forum that aims to empower female leaders in northern Uganda with skills to spearhead the process of economic and social transformation in their communities.  The Fellowship, which was launched on the 14th – 18th November, saw a cross section of young women in universities in Gulu interacting with successful business women in the Gulu community in a bid to motivate them to come up with creative, tangible solutions to the problems in their areas of influence.

Through interactive activities, such as field visits, participants gained insights Read the rest of this entry →

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Gulu Vocation Student Spearheads Community Development Project

December 14, 2011 in Africa Women's Decade, Beijing +15 review, Blog, building leadership, Icon, iCON, social enterpreneur, Women empowerment, YLN

Gulu, Uganda

During a seminar arranged by the iCON Young Leader’s Network from 15th to 19th August, the organization reached out to a group of young women in GYDA vocation school in Gulu, with the aim of helping them to rediscover and commit their individual entrepreneurial and transformational leadership potential to champion the cause of peace building and social transformation.

Linda Lawino is a student in tailoring at GYDA Vocation School. Whereas students like her in other practical learning institutions might wait for graduation before pioneering any innovations Read the rest of this entry →

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Counting our blessings 15 years after Beijing

May 7, 2010 in Beijing +15 review, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy

15 years after the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) was made with a
commitment to better the lives of women and girls through education
among other things;

  • Women still lack equal rights
  • Uganda has only 11 female professors

Find the details in Icon’s newsletter for March 2010, which includes
highlights from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New
York.
Find out how young leaders are making a difference in their communities.
Your feedback is always welcome, I can’t wait to hear from you. Please
send your reply directly to esther@iconwypla.org

Icon Newsletter – Academy i – March 2010

 

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Resolutions from the CSW 54 on HIV/AIDS, Maternal Mortality and FGM

April 9, 2010 in Beijing +15 review, BPfA, building leadership, CSW, Women empowerment

Please find attached the resolutions from the 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)on HIV/AIDS, Maternal Mortality and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  Icon Women and Young People’s Leadership Academy and the Uganda Beijing +15 Review Working Group in partnership with the East African Sub-regional Support Initiative EASSI and other partners is planning a post CSW debriefing meeting for women and young people from Uganda on 30th April, 2010.

Please see download the resolutions below

CSW 2010 – Resolution on Female Genital Mutilation

CSW Resolution – Maternal mortality and empowerment

CSW Resolution 2010 – Women and HIV AIDS
Icon is committed to building the policy advocacy and leadership potential of women and young people to fight social injustices including gender inequality, gender inequity and violence.

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15 years after landmark gathering, women still lack equal rights

April 6, 2010 in Beijing +15 review, BPfA, building leadership, CSW, Icon, iCON, Policy advocacy

High-level meeting at the UN assesses advances and challenges in women’s rights

New York – Thousands of government officials, activists and women leaders from all over the world are gathered in NY today to assess the progress and challenges in women’s empowerment at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The meeting takes place at the United Nations Headquarters from March 1-12 — 15 years after the milestone gathering in Beijing when governments pledged to advance equality for women everywhere.

“Progress towards gender equality has been uneven and slow, making it more difficult to meet the Millennium Development Goals,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. “To meet the MDGs by 2015, we must all work harder on the empowerment of women, gender equity in education, and on improving maternal health. These are not only critical in their own right, but will underpin progress on other MDGs too.” Read the rest of this entry →

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A Feat Born Out of Diligence – MUK Honours Female Professors

April 6, 2010 in Beijing +15 review, BPfA, building leadership, CSW, Icon, Policy advocacy, Women empowerment

Professor Ruth Mukama receives a gender equality award from Hon Jane Alisemera the chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association as Catherine Kanabahita the head of the gender ministry main streaming division looks on Saturday

Professor Ruth Mukama receives a gender equality award from Hon Jane Alisemera the chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association as Catherine Kanabahita the head of the gender ministry main streaming division looks on Saturday

Kampala — CLAD in a black and white striped gomesi, Prof. Victoria Mwaka walked forward to receive her award. She was one of the 10 women who were recognised for their academic excellence, which enabled them to climb the ladder to rank of professorship, an achievement that had, until recently, been held by only men.
The function was held at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel over the weekend. The retired head of department for gender and women studies worked for 13 years as the head of the geography at Makerere University.
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, the university vice-chancellor, said the number of female professors at Makerere rose from one in 2008 to six today. “This is due to their hard work and gender equality programmes like affirmative action (the 1.5 points given to girls admitted at the university).” He also attributed the achievement to a gender-sensitive constitution that aims at reducing gender disparities.”
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Highlights from the CSW: Launch of Africa Women’s Regional Shadow Report on Beijing +15

March 10, 2010 in Beijing +15 review, Policy advocacy

The Africa Women’s Regional Shadow Report on Beijing +15 was

UN Headquarters in New York. The African Shadow report was launched at one of the Pararell events during the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York

launched at one of the pararell events at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The report was officially launched by Gertrude Mongella, the President Pan-African Parliament.
“An African NGO Taskforce on Beijing +15 was set up to spearhead the
process of mobilizing women in Africa to organize and prepare for
participation in the regional processes leading up to the 2010 Global NGO
Forum and 54th CSW session on Beijing +15 Review in New York,” explained
Taskforce leader, Ms. Chigedze Chinyenyi.
Read the rest of this entry →

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