PS/SJ Chairs Meeting to Discuss Review Process of Judiciary Gender Policy, Strategy
On Tuesday November 1,2022, the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary, Dr Pius Bigirimana, chaired a meeting to discuss the inception report for the review and development of the Judiciary Gender Policy and Strategy.
The PS/SJ emphasized the need to ensure that the review conforms to the National Development Plan as well as the Judiciary Strategic Plan V.
He expressed Judiciary's commitment to supporting the project to its logical conclusion.
The consultant who is spearheading the review, Ms Dora Byamukama, reassured that Dr Bigirimana that the review will conform to existing policies. She noted that the review will collectively address identified gaps in the Judiciary 2012 Gender Policy and Strategy.
The 2012 Policy aims at providing a framework for gender mainstreaming within the Judiciary by addressing gender concerns within the Judiciary as an institution and key gender obstacles to court users.
It is hinged on the five pillars of; Ensure equal access to the Judiciary by women and men; Ensure timely and responsive administration of justice for woman and men; Develop capacity and skills for both judicial officers and non-judicial staff in gender and justice; Strengthen research and data collection on gender and access to justice as well as addressing gender issues in organizational management and development.
Ms Beatrice Mulindwa, from the UN Women, which is supporting the Judiciary to review its Gender Policy and Strategy, said the task was initially part of the Access to Justice Project but it never took off.
Hon. Lady Justice Elizabeth Jane Alividza, who represented the International Association of Women Judges - Ugandan Chapter, emphasized the need to design a data collection tool that can be placed at different courts in order to come up with gender needs at the different courthouses.
The meeting was organized by the Under Secretary, Ms Maureen Kasande, who is the Chairperson of the Judiciary Gender and Equity Taskforce.
Members of the Judiciary Gender and Equity Taskforce were equally in attendance.
Posted 1st, November 2022
