By Denis Kasule Ssebunya
The Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, wants mothers to be the front-runners in enticing their daughters to embrace sciences for a more elaborate female representation in the male-dominated discipline.
At both the local and international level, a number of initiatives have been put forward to encourage girl child education, more so in the sciences field. However, the numbers are yet to reflect the massive input, though there is a progress trajectory.
Among the initiatives is the Women in Energy Conference organized by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA). The annual event brings together women scientists, especially in the energy sector, to share experiences among themselves, as well as offering guidance to younger female scientists who are still in school, specifically university and high school levels.
“You know many policies have been enacted, affirmative action put in place, so how differently can we approach these issues of encouraging women to join the male-dominated space? I think the story begins from home, not even from primary school. Where were you brought up before you joined the school? What kind of mother or guardian did you grow up with? Is that person one who encourages you, the girl? Is there any affirmative action in the home?” asked Nankabirwa during the second edition of the Women in Energy Conference.
According to Nankabirwa, mothers must create time out of their schedule, however busy they might be, and take their children through the basics of sciences, especially mathematics, which is the foundation and its materials are easily accessible.
“The mothers of today, with the many things that we do, do have the time to go through the multiplication tables, which are normally at the back of the exercise books, such that our children can perfect it. We should not make it about the calculators and the laptops.”
As women are fighting to occupy these science spaces, as CEO, Nankabirwa highlights that they should not lose touch with their matrimonial obligations because it’s them with that natural tenderness and patience to nurture and groom. “The same way we carry on with our duties when we are pregnant, it’s the same way we should do this job. This should be the same way we have to equip and prepare these girls right from childhood; that’s where building confidence and talent identification begins.”
From the same meeting, the minister promised to maintain the women in all the positions that are currently held by women. Even though their contracts are to expire, their replacements would be women still. “I am determined to reserve all currently women-held positions for women by all means, and I will even defend my position to the IGG,” Nankabirwa affirmed.
Irene Bateebe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, encouraged the students in the meeting that they too can equally succeed in science subjects as their male counterparts, giving herself as an example.
“I recall we didn’t have any support. We were going through this journey by ourselves, but we survived, and here we are. We finally made it, but how about you who have opportunities like this platform with ERA? This will make it easy for you to navigate the professional life of what you desire to become.”
She adds that the platform is essential in increasing the participation of women in the sciences as it helps to break the barriers and stereotypes in society about girls and sciences.
“It is not right to look at women at the top. The journey starts from afar, so we must get it right directly from the grassroots, so that we have the right group of women growing to the top, a critical mass from whom to select the sector managers in the future.”
According to Bateebe, the initiative has so far covered up to 20,000 students from 27 secondary schools across the country. It is important to come together under such gatherings to enable one to build their connections because one’s network is their network.
From the same gathering, Sarah Wasagali Kanaabi, the ERA board chairperson, mentioned the energy sector, specifically in ERA like any other science discipline, there is a deficit in women professionals, yet they are badly needed in order to strengthen the call for gender balancing and social inclusion in the sector.
