Remarkable women in
Uganda
Reporting on the ‘Remarkable Women Who Move the World’ work done by ITF with Women Mobilize Women (WMW), we look at the work done in Uganda.
The individual and collective experiences of informal women transport workers in the informal bus sector in the cities and towns of Kampala, Mbarara and Mbale are told using images, photo stories and video clips.
Why Uganda?
The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers’ Union (ATGWU) in Uganda has made huge strides in organising informal workers. With crises caused by Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in the 1980s and the collapse of older public transport companies, informal minibuses (taxis) and motor-cycle taxis (boda-bodas) became the backbone of public transport. Hundreds and thousands of workers keep these services running every day. They face very low pay, long hours and bad working conditions. Women workers are often in the most precarious jobs and face many barriers due to discrimination against them, including violence and harassment on a daily basis. There are inspiring stories of how women have organised and through their associations affiliated to ATGWU.
“In the beginning, there was a lot of disrespect. A passenger would refuse to enter the taxi because it’s a woman driving”.
Nabaweesi Lydia – taxi driver and vice-chair of Uganda women taxi driver association
The ATGWU engaged the women workers in education workshops as well as more informal education work on the streets, in the major transport hubs and within the union itself which, according to the women, is being effective in changing attitudes among the men. The women feel more confident in describing their experiences, and the men have become more supportive.
“I chose riding at night because when I tried operating during the day, male colleagues made fun of me. They regarded me as a disgrace to society.”
Penelope Kayesu, young boda-boda driver
Nilamaholo’s story
Nakabuye’s story
Nabaweesi’s story
Photo gallery
I have got a lot from boda boda riding. It has helped me pay school fees for my child, to look after my well-being and my home.
Boda boda rider, Uganda