In Uganda, women’s representation in politics and leadership has undergone an evolving journey characterized by resilience, advocacy, and determination. Here, we delve into the lives, achievements, and challenges faced by these representatives, highlighting their efforts to overcome barriers in a predominantly male political arena.

From Members of Parliament to local council leaders, these women are at the forefront of addressing critical issues impacting their communities, including health, education, human rights, and economic empowerment.

Northern Uganda

Janet Grace Akech Okori- Moe – women’s representative (NRM) Abim District

Okori-Moe was a tutor at Moroto Teachers College (1992–1994) before serving as a delegate in Uganda’s Constituent Assembly (1994–1995). She served as a Member of Parliament twice before, 1996–2001 and 2006–2011. Immediately before her current elective position, she was a Senior Presidential Advisor on Education in the Office of the President (2013–2015).

In Uganda’s tenth Parliament, she serves as the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, and Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs in addition to being a member of the Appointments Committee.

Beatrice Akor Akello – women’s representative (NRM) Agago District

Beatrice Akello Akori was the Resident District Commissioner for Apac District. In 2020 she also chaired the Apac District taskforce for Covid-19. In the 2021 general election, she was elected as a woman representative in parliament for Agago district. In 2022 she was appointed Minister of State for Economic Monitoring in the Cabinet of Uganda.

Agnes Apea Atim – women’s representative (NRM) Amolatar District

She is a Ugandan social entrepreneur and politician. She founded the Hope Development Initiative and was named to the BBC’s 100 Women programme in 2017. In the 2021 general election, she was elected to the Parliament of Uganda as the women’s representative in the Amolatar District for the National Resistance Movement.

Betty Luoke Chelain – women’s representative (NRM)      Amudat District

She is a Ugandan politician and a female Member of Parliament. In 2021, she was elected as a female representative in parliament for Amudat district. She serves on the Committee on Health.

Lucy Akello – women’s representative (FDC) Amuru District

She is a Ugandan social worker and politician, who served as the Member of Parliament for the Amuru District Women’s Constituency in the 10th Parliament (2016 to 2021).She was elected back to the eleventh Parliament representing Amuru District. She serves as the shadow minister for labour, gender and social development.

Suzan Achola Engola – women’s representative (UPC) Apac District

In 2011, she was elected as a member of parliament for Apac District. She was re-elected in the 2021 Ugandan general election, held on 14 January 2021.

Sarah Aguti Nyangkori – women’s representative    (UPC) Dokolo District

She is a Ugandan social worker and legislator. She is a woman MP in the eleventh parliament having won aby-election. She replaced Cecilia Barbra Ogwal who passed away while still in the seat.

Betty Aol Ochan- City Woman MP (FDC) Gulu City

She is a Ugandan teacher and politician, who had served as the Leader of Opposition in Uganda’s Parliament from 3 August 2018 until 2021. For the next nine years, until 2006, Ochan was a member of Gulu District Council. In 2006, she was elected to the Ugandan Parliament on the FDC political party ticket. She has been a member of parliament ever since.

Sharon Balmoi Laker – Women’s Representative (NRM) – Gulu District

In 2021, she was also elected as the Parish Development representative of the Acholi Parliamentary Group.

Christine Tubo Nakwang – Women’s Representative (NRM) Kaabong District

She is a Ugandan politician who is currently the woman representative member of parliament for Kaabong District. Christine was among the National Resistance Movement (NRM) representative in the by- elections of 2021 which happened because Rose Lily Akello the former woman representative of Kaabong District opted to represent the newly created Karenga District that was carved out of Kaabong District.

Rose Lilly Akello – Women’s Representative (NRM) Karenga District

She is a Ugandan politician and social worker representing Karenga District as the district woman member of parliament in the eleventh parliament of Uganda. In the ninth and tenth parliament, she served as the district woman Member of Parliament representing Kaabong District. Rose opted to represent Karenga District instead of Kaabong district because Karenga was carved out of Kaabong on 1 July 2019. She became the Kaabong District Woman MP after winning a by-election in 2017 against Ms Christine Tubo Nakwang.

Margret Lamwaka – Chua East (NRM) Kitgum District

From 1989 until 2015, Margaret Lamwaka taught in primary schools in various parts of Uganda. She started out as a Grade III Teacher at Gulu Public Primary School, in 1989, rising to Grade I Head Teacher at Pandwong Primary School, in 2015.

In 2016, Margaret Lamwaka contested for the Kitgum District Woman Member of Parliament, on the ruling National Resistance Movement political party ticket. She won and is the incumbent MP for Kitgum District Women.

In the 10th Parliament, she is a member of two parliamentary committees; (a) the Committee on rules, privileges and Discipline and (b) the Committee on education and Sports.

Lilian Aber – Women’s Representative (NRM) Kitgum District

Aber’s involvement in politics began at Makerere University. As a freshman, she won the election to become Guild Representative Councillor (GRC) of the School of Arts in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She was then appointed as a Guild Minister by the Guild President, Anna Ebaju Adeke that year. As a sophomore, she stood for the guild presidency on the Forum for Democratic Change party ticket, but lost to Bwowe Ivan, who later appointed her as Guild Vice President.

While Guild Vice President, she made a bid for the presidency of the Uganda National Students Union (UNSA) which she won in 2015, replacing Matanda Abubaker (the UNSA President from 2013 to 2014). Aber later joined the National Resistance Movement party when standing for the position of Chairperson of the National Youth Council. She was elected to this position in November 2015.

In January 2021, Aber won the women’s representative seat for Kitgum District. In the 2021 general election, Aber won against Roselyn Alanyo Olobo of the Uganda People’s Congress and Norah Odokorach, an independent candidate.

Judith Alyek – Women’s Representative (NRM) Kole District

She is a Ugandan politician and the district Woman Representative for Kole District in Uganda’s 10th Parliament. She is a member of the National Resistance Movement on whose ticket she ran in the 2016 general elections. She also serves as the chairperson of the Committee on HIV/AIDS and related diseases. In the eleventh parliament, she serves on the Committee on Equal Opportunities

Margaret Achilla Aleper – Women’s Representative (NRM) Kotido District

She also serves as a full-time member under the Membership to Professional Bodies at Uganda National Teachers Union.

Nancy Acora – Women’s Representative (independent) Lamwo District

She entered parliament after defeating the former Member of Parliament Molly Lanyero of the National Resistance Movement party.

After the elections, Lanyero was discontented and lodged an election petition against Acora. Acora at the end of the process won the election petition in September 2021. In the parliament of Uganda, Acora serves as a member of the presidential affairs committee.

Stella Atyang – Women’s Representative Moroto District

She was elected on April 26, 2017, to replace her aunt, Annie Logiel the Woman MP representing Moroto before her death. Atyang was a lone candidate in the election after opposition parties declined to feature candidates fearing that the district would give her a sympathy vote in honour of her deceased aunt. She was declared elected unopposed.

Joyce Kabutu Moriku – Women’s Representative Moyo District

In the 2021-26 cabinet, she is State Minister for Primary Education, having succeeded Rosemary Seninde.  Previously she was in the Minister of State for Primary Health Care in the Ugandan Cabinet. She was appointed to that position on 6 June 2016, replacing Sarah Achieng Opendi, who became State Minister for Health and General Duties. She also serves as the elected Member of Parliament for Moyo District Women Representative in the 10th Parliament (2016 to 2021).

Sylvia Vicky Awas – Women’s Representative (NRM) Nabilatuk District

Before joining the NRM political party, she was the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) member.

Esther Davinia Anyakun – Women’s Representative (NRM) Nakapiripirit District

Anyakun was first elected to the 10th Parliament (2016-2021). She was re-elected in February 2021, to the 11th Parliament (2021-2026). She was appointed Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, in the Office of the Prime Minister, in June 2021.

In a cabinet reshuffle in March 2024, she was transferred to the Ministry of Labour as the State Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations.

Faith Nakut – Women’s Representative (NRM) Napak District

In 2024, she tasked the Ministry of Health to investigate the increased cases of maternal deaths at Moroto Regional Referral following the death of Sarah Nadiye, the 12th woman to die in 2024 within Karamoja region. She asked parliament of Uganda to reject the Ministry of Education policy that requires all nursery teachers to have degrees. She also commented on the low literacy levels in Karamoja region. Faith also currently serves on the Finance Committee, Physical Infrastructure Committee, and Public Accounts (Local Government) Committee at the Parliament of Uganda. She has also advocated against child trafficking in the region.

Agnes Acibu – Women’s Representative (NRM) Nebbi District

She was elected in office as a woman Member to represent Nebbi district during the 2021 Uganda general elections.

Zomura Manezo – Women’s Representative (NRM) Obongi District

She was elected in office as a woman Member to represent Obongi district located in the Northern part of Uganda during the 2021 Uganda general elections.

Catherine Lamwaka – Women’s Representative (NRM) Omoro District

Since 2016, Lamwaka has been a member of the Parliament of Uganda, representing the people of the Omoro District as a District Woman Representative. She serves on the Government Assurance Committee in the Parliament of Uganda and is a member of and vice chairperson for the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA). She served under the office of the president as Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Gulu District, from 2014 to 2015 and as Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Pader District, from 2010 to 2014. Lamwaka served as a Community Development Officer for Amuru District from 2007 to 2010, and earlier in her career as a research assistant for the Gulu NGO Forum from 2006 to 2007.

Susan Jolly Abeja – Women’s Representative (independent) Otuke District

Susan was among the 132 MPs who were sworn in for a five-year term as representatives for different constituencies across the country, in the 11th Parliament on May 17, 2021.

Betty Amongi Akena – Oyam South Oyam District

She is the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development in the Cabinet of Uganda, as of 9 June 2021. Previously, she served as the Cabinet Minister of Kampala Capital City and before that, from 6 June 2016 until 14 December 2019, as the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Uganda’s cabinet. She was first elected to parliament in 2001 as the woman member of parliament for Apac district and was re-elected in 2006 before being elected as the woman member for parliament for Oyam South.

Alum Sandra Ogwang Santa – Women’s Representative (UPC) Oyam District

Alum serves as director/secretary of Sysplus Limited from 1998 to date. From 2005 to 2006 she was a data entrant at Makerere University. She was also a member of Oyam District public accounts committee from 2006 to 2010. In 1998 she was a teacher at Almond College, Lira.

She is a Member of Parliament of Uganda from 2011 to present. In parliament she is the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party whip and she also serves on the Business Committee and the Committee on Agriculture. She is also a member of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA).

Alum Santa is a member of the Uganda parliamentary forum on social protection (UPFSP) a forum that advocates for social protection especially the most vulnerable sections of Uganda’s population.

Santa Okot – Aruu North (PPP) Pader District

Santa is the only MP in the 11th Parliament belonging to the People’s Progressive Party. She is also the former member of the seventh Parliament of Uganda. In the 2001, she was the Woman Member of Parliament for Pader District representing the people of Aruu County under the National Resistance Movement political party. In 2006, she contested as the Member of Parliament but lost. She is known for being critical of the government for instance she has been using social media when presidential term limits were lifted in order to hold government leaders accountable.

Jane Pacutho Avur – Women’s Representative (NRM) Pakwach District

She has been Member of Parliament of Uganda from 2017 to date, she was a board member Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) from 2015 to 2017, and from 2004 to 2008 she was a credit supervisor at the microfinance support centre limited, in addition she was also assistant project administrator rural microfinance support project from 2004 to 2008. From 1998 to 2004 she was the assistant project administrator poverty alleviation project and was a clearing officer Uganda’s Central Transport and Clearers Limited from 1991 to 1998.

In parliament, she serves on the finance committee as vice chairperson

Rose Obinga – Women’s Representative (NRM) Terego District

She was elected in office as a woman Member to represent Terego district during the 2021 Uganda general elections.