KAMPALA – Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) recently convened a high-level stakeholders’ dialogue to dissect the intricacies of Uganda’s tax regime and its disproportionate impact on women. Held on a sunny Friday, the event brought together an array of experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the intersections of taxation, unpaid care work, and gender equality.
Rose Wakikona, Vice Chair of UWONET, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of recognizing the value of unpaid care work, which disproportionately falls on women.
“The tax regime in Uganda directly impacts household incomes, limiting the amount of money available for essential expenses like food, education, and healthcare,” Wakikona explained. “Women are shouldering the bulk of unpaid care work, and this has significant implications for their economic empowerment and overall well-being.”
Flavia Kabahenda, Woman MP for Kyegegwa district, shared her experience of discussing unpaid care work with President Museveni. “I told him about unpaid care work and how it has affected women and development, and he said, ‘So, on top of dowries, you want us to start paying you at home?'” Kabahenda recalled. “This kind of perception tells you how much journey we still have ahead of us. We need an intentional sensitization of what we mean by unpaid care work.”
Sarah Opendi, Tororo Woman MP, emphasized the significance of tax incentives, particularly for women, given the numerous disadvantages they face. “Women are predominantly employed in lower positions, exacerbating their struggles and relegating decision-making authority to men,” Opendi said. “We need to promote women’s participation in all spheres, leveraging their increased access to education, and engaging men in discussions about women’s issues.”
As the dialogue progressed, it became clear that the tax regime in Uganda has a disproportionate impact on women. Women earn less from employment and business, yet they spend more on consumables due to their higher care burden. Men, on the other hand, earn more but spend less on care.
The stakeholders discussed various solutions, including providing tax incentives for women-owned businesses, introducing measures to provide affordable or subsidized quality childcare, and recognizing the value of care work in tax systems.
As the event came to a close, Wakikona reiterated the importance of recognizing the value of unpaid care work and promoting gender equality in tax policies. “We need to ensure that tax and fiscal policies are in line with the 5R framework: recognize, reduce, redistribute, reclaim, and remunerate/reward care and domestic work,” she said.
Opendi added, “We must engage men in discussions about women’s issues and promote women’s participation in all spheres. We need to provide tax incentives for women-owned businesses and introduce measures to provide affordable or subsidized quality childcare.”
Kabahenda concluded, “We need to intentionally sensitize people about what we mean by unpaid care work. We need to provide infrastructure that reduces the burden of unpaid care work, such as access to nearby water sources, electric kettles, and child care centers in marketplaces.”
The stakeholders’ dialogue provided a platform for experts and policymakers to discuss the tax regime’s implications on women and men. The event aimed to raise awareness about the issue and advocate for policy changes that promote gender equality and recognize the value of unpaid care work.
Some of the recommendations
- Support women’s educational attainment and skills 04 development through incentives that promote education. This will help to reduce the education care burden on women.
- Introduce measures that provide affordable or subsidized quality childcare, parental leave and greater flexibility in working arrangements without reductions in labour and social protections.
- Tax systems must also recognize the value of care work. This means considering the unique needs of caregivers, both paid and unpaid, and creating systems that value their contributions. Women, who are at the heart of caregiving, should have a voice in designing these policies.
- Ensure tax and fiscal policies are in line with the 5R 07 framework: recognise, reduce, redistribute, reclaim and remunerate/reward care and domestic work
- Reduce unfair tax burdens on women and adopt progressive. redistributive and gender equal taxation – Including new forms of taxation of capital and wealth combined with less reliance on consumption taxes.
- Remove gender bias and discrimination in tax policies to 09 ensure that tax revenues are raised and spent in ways that promote gender equality
