Women’s rights advocates want Uganda’s tax policies and 2027/28 national budget reviewed to address the impact of taxes on essential goods, market levies and business costs on women and their households.
Women’s rights advocates have called for reforms to Uganda’s tax system, warning that taxes on essential household goods, market levies and the way taxes are collected can disproportionately burden women and constrain the growth of women-owned businesses.
The Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) is pushing for gender considerations to be incorporated into taxation policies and the 2027/28 national budget, arguing that existing measures do not adequately account for the economic pressures faced by women.
The organisation’s report, From Neutrality to Equity: A Gender Analysis of Uganda’s Tax Regime, examines how taxation affects women and seeks to influence reforms that make the system more equitable.
Among the concerns highlighted are inadequate tax education for women operating small businesses, the conduct of tax collectors and daily dues imposed on traders, particularly those working in markets.
Mary Kamuli Kuteesa, the Minister of State for Gender and Cultural Affairs, said women’s economic contribution was not adequately reflected in official statistics, potentially affecting how their interests are considered when taxation policies are formulated.
“The figure is right from what it is right now, but the reality is wrong. Our greater contribution is not reflected in these statistics,” Kuteesa said, questioning figures showing that men account for more than 60 per cent of recorded economic contribution.
She urged policymakers to incorporate gender concerns into future finance bills and called on civil society organisations and the media to sustain pressure for a fairer tax system.
“Make taxation understandable. Make the citizens know that indeed there are gender issues in taxation. Continue to amplify the voices that are calling for fair tax regime,” she said.
Kuteesa said women should be recognised not merely as taxpayers but also as economic actors whose concerns deserve consideration in public policy.
FOWODE argues that taxation decisions affect women both as business owners and as household providers, particularly when taxes contribute to higher prices for basic goods.
Patricia Munabi, FOWODE’s executive director, said taxes that raise the prices of essential commodities such as cooking oil and sugar place additional pressure on women, who often bear much of the responsibility for providing food for their families.
“When you go back to the home, it is the woman who is buying cooking oil and sugar for the family and so on, and so there is a very high impact,” Munabi said.
She also warned that rising fuel prices increase transportation and production costs, potentially pushing up the prices of other goods and services.
“When you increase the price of fuel, automatically the price of everything else increases because fuel is used for transportation and for everything,” she said.
Munabi said FOWODE was engaging stakeholders at district level through budget conferences to ensure women’s priorities are considered as preparations for the 2027/28 financial year progress.
The organisation intends to use the budget process to advocate for taxation and spending decisions that reflect the different economic pressures experienced by women and men.
Beyond taxation, Kuteesa linked women’s welfare to accountability in the management of public funds, arguing that corruption undermines access to essential services, including maternal healthcare.
She said money diverted from public hospitals could affect expectant mothers who depend on government facilities for care.
“When you take that money that should have gone to a hospital, you are impacting a woman who is bringing another child in Uganda,” she said.
Kuteesa urged Ugandans to reject corruption and demand responsible management of public resources, arguing that the country cannot achieve meaningful development while public funds are stolen.
FOWODE’s proposed reforms call for policymakers to consider how taxes, market levies and public spending affect women-owned businesses, household purchasing power and access to essential services.