As climate change continues to unravel the environmental stability of Uganda, it is also laying bare a deeper, more entrenched crisis—one of gender inequality. For women and girls, particularly in rural communities, the climate emergency is not only a matter of rising waters and extreme weather—it’s a daily battle for survival, dignity, and basic human rights.
Nowhere is this struggle more vivid than in the flood-stricken district of Kasese, where the River Mubuku burst its banks in April. What began as a torrential downpour overnight turned into a humanitarian disaster by dawn. Homes were swallowed by the floods, displacing scores of residents, many of whom were women, young girls, and expectant mothers.
In Yamukui Upper Cell, an informal displacement camp hastily assembled in the aftermath, two women gave birth under grim conditions. They had fled with nothing—no clothes, no food, no medical care. One woman recalled how she was assisted by a traditional birth attendant without even the bare essentials like sterile gloves. “I lost everything in the floods,” she said, holding her crying baby. “There is no food here. My breast milk has dried up from stress. We are surrounded by mosquitoes and disease.”
The nearest government health facility, Rukoki Hospital, lies more than 30 kilometres away—an impossible distance for mothers in crisis. No vaccinations have been administered. No postnatal care has reached the camp. Pregnant women remain at risk of life-threatening complications, with no access to surgical care should they require a caesarean section.
Across Uganda, women form the backbone of the informal economy—especially in agriculture, which contributes nearly a quarter of the national GDP. But extreme weather events such as floods, prolonged droughts, and erratic rainfall are disrupting their livelihoods. “When agriculture is disrupted, women lose income, food, and stability,” said one expert. “They feed the nation, yet they are left most vulnerable.”
The climate crisis has further complicated the already precarious position of women. In addition to economic strain, many face an increase in gender-based violence—driven by poverty, displacement, and systemic inequality. Esther, a small-scale trader in Kasese, suffered a life-altering attack when she attempted to assert her independence by investing in a piece of land. Her husband, unable to cope with her autonomy and embittered by the economic pressures of the changing climate, brutally assaulted her, leaving her disabled. “Instead of talking to me, he cut off my hands,” she recounted tearfully.
According to the United Nations Gender Snapshot Report of 2024, while climate change may not directly cause gender-based violence, it intensifies the conditions that allow it to thrive: poverty, instability, and weakened support systems.
Uganda’s government has implemented programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, which earmark a percentage of financial support specifically for women. However, challenges persist. Informal employment remains the norm for the majority of Ugandans—92% of the total workforce, and a staggering 94% of all women, according to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey.
The country’s Climate Change Act of 2021 offers a legal framework, granting the High Court jurisdiction over climate-related grievances. In addition, the Ministry of Health has introduced the Climate Change and Health National Adaptation Plan (2025–2030), aimed at bolstering health sector resilience to climate shocks. Yet critics point to a lack of clear, sustainable funding for its implementation, relying heavily on external support and donor goodwill.
As the climate emergency escalates, the burden on Uganda’s women and girls continues to grow. They walk farther for water. They struggle to feed their families from fields increasingly ravaged by drought or floods. They give birth in crisis conditions. And too often, they are left to carry the burden alone.
Without swift and targeted action, the country risks leaving its most vital citizens behind.
“The climate crisis is not gender-neutral,” said one advocate. “Uganda must act now—not just to protect its environment, but to protect the women and girls who hold up the nation.”
