President Yoweri Museveni was elated by Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, maria Hakansson’s acknowledgement that Uganda has made greater strides in gender representation in politics than Sweden.
This public acknowledgement was during International Women’s Day celebrations in Kyankwanzi district on June 8, 2024.
Ambassador Maria Håkansson, who had a rare occasion to address the Ugandan public , noted with appreciation Uganda’s progress in women’s leadership, economic empowerment, and legal frameworks to protect women and girls.
She said Uganda as a model nation within the EAC region and sub Saharan Africa and was a good model for other countries to learn from .
Even countries in developed countries including Sweden, she said, are still trailing Uganda in this area. “I have to say, I always get the question of how Sweden is doing compared to Uganda,” Håkansson stated.
“And I have to say with all humbleness that Sweden is still way behind Uganda when it comes to women’s representation in political positions. Well done, Uganda.”
A visibly happy Museveni agreed with Hakansson while stressing that Uganda’s democracy surpasses that of many Western nations.
“I want to thank the Swedish Ambassador because she is one of the most truthful people. Most people are not truthful,” Museveni remarked.
“She just declared here that we are better than them in practising democracy. This is what I have always said to them because often they confront me about democracy, and I always tell them that we are better than them.”
The President pointed to Uganda’s unique policies, such as the requirement that each district has a dedicated parliamentary seat for women, as an example of how Uganda is leading the way in political inclusivity.
“I tell them to be quiet because what we do here is quite unique. You will hardly find it anywhere else. Things like having a woman’s parliamentary seat for each district—this is unique,” he added.
