Introductions
Indigenous Women Network
Indigenous women have always been part of their peoples’ struggles, whether local, nationally or at international level.
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IWONET supports indigenous women in Uganda to raise stronger voices in claiming the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The indigenous women of Uganda include ancient communities of hunters and gatherers, such as Benet and Batwa, also known as Twa. They also include minority groups like the Ik, the Karamojong and the Basongora. The Benets, who number just over 8,500, live in the north eastern part of Uganda. The Batwa, who number about 6,700, live mainly in the southwest region in Districts of Bundibugyo, Kisoro, Kanungu, Kabale and Rubanda. They were dispossessed of their ancestral land when the Bwindi and Mgahinga forests were declared national parks in 1991.
The Ik number is approximately 13,939 and lives on the edge of the Karamoja / Turkana region along the border
between Uganda and Kenya. The Karamojong live in the northeast and total about 988,429. The Basongora, who number 15,897, are a livestock community that lives in the lowlands adjacent to Rwenzori Mountain in western Uganda.
Vision of IWONET
IWONET envisions a society with empowered Indigenous Women, having equal opportunities as a strategy for attaining sustainable development
Mission of IWONET
To enhance and strengthen the capacity of Indigenous Women through participation, social, economic, political empowerment as well as protection of their rights
8500
Benets People
6700
Batwa People
13939
Ik number
15897
Basongora
988429
Karamojong
What we do
Despite their enormous assets and contribution to society, indigenous women still suffer from multiple discrimination, both as women and as indigenous individuals. They are subjected to extreme poverty, trafficking, illiteracy, lack of access to ancestral lands, non-existent or poor health care and to violence in the private and the public sphere. This violence is exacerbated when indigenous communities find themselves in the midst of conflict and women become the target of violence with political motives, when going about their daily work, fetching wood or water for the family.
Objectives of IWONET
To address issues that affect indigenous women around areas like environmental conservation, Reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, women’s rights, education, women Economic empowerment and cultural preservation. We conduct research on these areas the results of which are used to create trainings and workshops for indigenous women.
Indigenous women have always been part of their peoples’ struggles, whether local, nationally or at international level.