Transformational feminist leadership looks at equality, voice and agency #WAVEII

Latifa Namutebi 

Latifa is a lawyer who sparked her entry into feminist activism through family law. This led her to the Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC) where she found her footing in advocating for change in the women’s movement at the community level. 

Why WAVE exists 

The WAVE consortium is dedicated to empowering women and improving their lives whilst looking at lasting impact when it comes to using their agency and voice. WAVE addresses women’s agency and empowerment in all their diversities and is a gateway to bringing together the women’s movement in Uganda through solidarity. 

WIPC’s niche in WAVE 

WIPC is centring wellness and selfcare at the forefront of all that women do and their experiences. We are pushing for wellness as a priority in the movement and reminding women to build each other by taking care of ‘self’ and others. 

Addressing the closing civic space by creating safe spaces and opportunities for women to come together 

We’ve seen Uganda’s space continue to shrink regressively affecting the gains of women’s rights. But now, male dominance is posing a new challenge where men are organising and trying to disunite us.  WAVE II is uniquely navigating this challenge by providing a platform where consortia members  can come together through collective action and build solidarity in one voice. 

WAVE has a unique approach in intersectional feminist thinking 

 The feminist movement was first misconstrued as a middle-class women’s agenda only unique to women in this category. This understanding has shifted immensely, and WAVE is right at the centre of bringing together diverse women across the intersections of their various identities  and lived experiences which is critical in influencing advocacy locally, regionally and globally. 

 Wellness, selfcare and transformational feminist leadership in WAVE 

Transformational feminist leadership looks at equality, voice and agency. This ensures everyone feels recognised as a leader and can engage whether young, old or middle-aged. 

Selfcare and wellness is all about what makes you feel good as a person and making time for it. They should never be deprioritised in activism work and WAVE ensures this is well resourced for and included in all areas of our collective action. 

The WAVE II consortium is a partnership programme of the following organisations: Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW), National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU), National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda (NUWODU) and the Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre).