THE INTERNATIONAL WOMYN’S DAY 2019 STATEMENT.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Uganda-8 th March

In recognition of the International Women’s day 2019 Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG) joins the rest of the world to celebrate all womyn.

This year’s theme “Think Equal, Build Smart, innovate for Change focusses on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure."

We are proud to see that Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer (LBQ) Womyn are taking up spaces by breaking the barriers of heteronormativity and redefining the narratives. We have been pivotal in many social justice movements. We can still reclaim our voice and grounding by ensuring our voices are heard and our presence felt. Gender Equality and womyn’s empowerment cannot be achieved if LBQ Women are still judged based on stereotypical gender norms, systems and binaries.

LBQ Womyn must have opportunities to contribute towards making change, shaping policies, systems, services and infrastructure that impact all womyn’s lives.

As we celebrate let us recognise and acknowledge the contribution that LBQ Womyn have and continue to make towards achieving gender equality. We do when we march for womyn’s lives, when we won the Right livelihood Award (2015) and when we create visibility after rafiki.

Ssenfuka Joanita Warry, our ED’s message today “The change in the world that works for all of us can only be achieved if all womyn in our diversities step up and use the unutilized potentials. Womyn have different skills that escalate those of men.’’

FARUG calls upon LBQ Womyn to join all womyn in all efforts towards achieving gender equality. We will continue to the fight for inclusion, diversity and safety for all. Please follow #BalanceforBetter #IWD2019 on Twitter: Far_Uganda Facebook: Freedom And Roam Uganda