HER ROYAL HIGHNESS SYLVIA NAGGINDA NNABAGEREKA OF BUGANDA KINGDOM

MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2014, 8TH MARCH 2014 (Embargoed: Thursday 6th March 2014, at Bulange - Mengo, Kampala, Uganda) Today we join the rest of the world in celebration of the progress made for women's rights, women's empowerment and gender equality under the 2014 International Womens Day Theme Inspiring Change and Ugandas Theme: 'Milestones for the Future...Telling Our Stories' 2014 is About Change! As we search for solutions that can ensure sustainable development and observance of womens rights as human rights, we need to look at the girl child and woman as total human beings. This requires empowering women and girls to fulfil their social, economic and cultural rights. Therefore, I believe that cultural leadership, institutions and voices are key change agents. Traditionally in most of our societies, story-telling was and still is a creative avenue to passing on values, skills and culture from one generation to another. Therefore, telling the stories of womens journeys in both their personal and collective struggles for empowerment is key in stimulating interest in the young to emulate and struggle for higher achievements as well as energise each humble and unique effort to do more. Obviously, we all know that women are the backbone of society as they are the ones that undertake the bulk of work, the ones who we task with that paramount cultural responsibility of nurturing and socialisation. As such; its mainly through women that society passes on culture from one generation to another. Hence the urgent and increasing need for Cultural Leadership to be at the helm of defining development outcomes. Cultural women leaders seek to contribute to this noble role assigned to women. It is up to society to hear and honour our voices. In view of the above, International Women's Day is a day to recommit ourselves to working harder for gender equality together as: women, men, cultural leaders, political leaders, young people, diaspora communities, and the private sector. In my capacity as the Nnabagereka of Buganda Kingdom, I add my voice to the other stakeholders to reiterate our commitment to the efforts of enabling women live violent free, dignified, happy and satisfying lives. I implore upon all of us, as a society to revive positive traditional practices that celebrated and cherished each and every person as a worthy member of the community. By implication men and women lived in harmony and equally contributed to the survival of the community, albeit they did not use the popular terms of gender equality and equality.

We acknowledge that while enormous progress has been registered, many challenges still remain and/or even new complex challenges are emerging. As a Millennium Development Goals 3 Torch-Bearer for Uganda since 2008, I reiterate my commitment towards strengthening initiatives that empower women and address gender justice through: Office of the Nnabagereka of Buganda Kingdom, Buganda Ministry of Gender and Community Development and The Nnabagereka Development Foundation. In the belief that many hands make the task lighter, I pledge to work with other key stakeholders to address the negative cultural values, harmful practices that undermine the integrity and personhood of women and girls; improve womens economic empowerment and counter the rising feminisation of poverty; addressing womens unique Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; connecting with key diaspora communities that are key in developing Africa. Above all, my unique contribution is to strengthen cultural voices, platforms and leadership as critical players in development, by expanding access to quality health care and improving health outcomes for women, children and youth, increasing literacy and education for women and girls, womens leadership and agency in all sectors including our own cultural institutions, and providing innovative ways of enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainable livelihoods. In all these journeys, I strongly believe we must walk side by side with men as key partners in balancing the gender scales. In 2014, we have abundant opportunities. Globally, Africa is perceived as the future of the 21st century. Further, there is less controversy about the role of cultural frameworks to promote development through projecting cultural voice. Through my work in The Nnabagereka Development Foundation, we intend to ensure that cultural voice is integral to secure the the future we want for Uganda, Africa and Globally. Using cultural voice as a unique complementary framework, NDF will influence national, East African Community and the African Union policy as well as the post Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] agenda. By working with men and boys to address the crisis of masculinities and supporting gender equity and equality initiatives undertaken, it will take us miles in changing the lives of women and girls. By allowing ourselves to promote positive African cultural values; undergo cultural renaissance and engage with cultural institution as key spaces for change we mobilise local and community efforts to ensure that our efforts are sustainable and owned by all of us who have a stake in the goals of poverty eradication. As Buganda Kingdom Today, every day and historically; we are proud to have promoted womens rights, empowerment and leadership. Traditionally women in Buganda have power and agency. We reiterate that we will stand along with others to continue working towards womens rights, empowerment and gender equality. Gender Equity and Equality has historically been part of our cultural institutional framework and leadership. On behalf of Buganda Kingdom and my own behalf, I would like to wish all the women and girls a Happy International Womens Day. HRH Sylvia Nagginda Nnabagereka of Buganda Kingdom Bulange, Mengo For more information contact: info@nnabagereka.org