GENDER INEQUALITY AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION AMONG

HOUSEHOLDS IN BUNSULE VILLAGE, KAKALGALA

SUB-COUNTY, LUWERO DISTRICT, UGANDA

BWITE LUKAMA

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

DECEMBER, 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................IICHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION................................1

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY................................1

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM...............................2

GENERAL OBJECTIVE.....................................3

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES...................................3

RESEARCH QUESTIONS....................................3

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS...................................3

SCOPE OF THE STUDY....................................3

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY..............................4

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK...................................4

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS.........................5

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.................6

INTRODUCTION.........................................6

POVERTY.............................................6

CULTURE.............................................7

PEER INFLUENCE.......................................9

IDENTIFIED GAPS......................................11

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY..............................12

INTRODUCTION.........................................12

LOCALE OF THE STUDY..................................12

RESEARCH DESIGN......................................122

STUDY POPULATION.....................................12

SAMPLE SIZE.........................................13

SAMPLING PROCEDURES...................................13

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT...................................13

VALIDITY OF THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT.....................14

RELIABILITY OF THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT...................14

PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION...........................14

PROCEDURE OF DATA COLLECTION...........................14

DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS...........................15REFERENCES..............................................16

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

More countries have undergone women equality as a

prerequisite for development and poverty reduction.

Equally, gender equality has been understood as one of

the basic processes to poverty alleviation. Despite that,

inequality is still a life-long experience for girls and

women. Women make up the majority of unpaid workers in

the world; only 15% of land owners and one in five

lawmakers globally are women (UNFPA Research Report,

2007). Yet equality between men and women is more than

just a matter of social justice; it is also a fundamental

right.

3

Statement of

the problem

There are high levels of gender inequality in

Bunsule village. This has not just made the fight against

poverty futile, it has also tempered with attainment of

the Millennium Development Goals, making poverty

alleviation the biggest problem to consolidate in Bunsule

village. Inequality in Bunsule village is caused by

unbalanced education opportunities, exposing the males

much to education. Cultural norms and beliefs, religious

beliefs that do not allow women to inherit neither

property nor land, and the women’s position in the

society that do not qualify them for empowerment. This

has led to poverty escalation, placing women and children

in a vulnerable position in society. Giving equal or more

education opportunities to women will consolidate the

problem, empowering them and allowing them to inherit

property hence bring about development in Bunsule

village.

Research Questions

1. Can gender Equality be a driving force towards

poverty alleviation in Bunsule village?4

2. Can women and girls contribute towards poverty

reduction in Bunsule village?

3. Is there a relationship between gender equality

and poverty alleviation?

General Objective

To find out the relationship between gender

inequality and poverty alleviation among households in

Bunsule village, Kalagala Sub-county, Luwero, in Uganda.

Specific Objectives

1) To ascertain how gender equality can be a driving

force towards poverty alleviation in Bunsule village.

2) To investigate how women and girls contribute to

poverty reduction in Bunsule village.

3) To find out the relationship between gender

equality and poverty alleviation in Bunsule village.

Hypothesis

There is no relationship between causes of gender

inequality and poverty alleviation among households in

Bunsule village, Kalagala Sub-county, Luwero District in

Uganda.

Scope and Limitations5

The study will be limited to Bunsule village, Kamira

Parish in Kalagala Sub-county, Luwero District which is

located on 320 acres of land, 33km North of Kampala City

on the Gayaza-Zirobwe Road. The Sub-county has a

population of 750 with an average of 5 people per

household (UAC, 2009).

The study will focus on gender equality in relation

to poverty alleviation in Bunsule village. Specifically,

it enlightens the results of gender equality towards

poverty reduction. The research will be conducted in a

period of 5 months.

Significance of the Study

Development agents, the government, schools, and

stakeholders who might be interested in the development

of the area are the primary beneficiaries of the study.

The study will serve as a blue print for the above in any

form of study regarding gender equality and poverty

alleviation.

Students and the general public who serve as

secondary and tertiary beneficiaries respectively will

get a clear insight on how gender equality can be a

driving force towards poverty alleviation.

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Theoretical Framework

Philips (1984) in his richly documented study of

Eve’s Myth observed that biblical interpreters throughout

the ages have been unanimously in support that the

serpent, being shrewd, recognized that the woman was the

weaker of the two humans, thus the serpent seduced Eve

because of her weakness and she - in turn - was able to

seduce her husband because she was filled with the power

of evil.

According to this theory, the origin of gender

differences and inequality is sin, as explained in

Genesis 3:16, where the writer says God said to the

woman, “I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and

your pain in giving birth; in spite of this, you will

still have to desire for your husband, yet you will be

subject to him.”

This theory clearly shows that form the beginning of

creation, a woman was subject to man. The story of Adam

and Eve’s fall brings into focus the act of inequality

and introduces the definition of a woman as a sexual

temptress and just a helper. This shows us how everything

is supposed to be, and women will only be active if a man

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needs a hand of help. This explains why husbands/ wives

in Bunsule village deny their wives and other women the

chance to equality and limit their activities to

housework and child bearing, claiming it to be prescribed

by God.

Conceptual Framework

The researcher embarked on finding out the

relationship between gender equality and poverty

alleviation and the driving force towards poverty

alleviation. This can be achieved through equal access to

education, women empowerment, and property inheritance.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Operation Definition of Terms

Education: This is a process of teaching, training, and

learning especially in schools or colleges to

improve knowledge and develop skills.

Empowerment: To give power, authority or something in

order to achieve a certain goal.

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Education

Empowerment

Inheritance

Poverty

Alleviation

Inheritance: The money, property, etc. that you receive

from somebody when they die; the act of receiving

something when somebody dies.

Gender equality: This is the balancing of roles between

male and female. The roles may be sexual roles or

social roles.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

In the last decade, gender equality has received

considerable attention. Efforts have been made to

eliminate discrimination and to improve women’s,

inheritance; education and empowerment. This chapter

looks at the work done by other researchers.

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How Education Contributes to Poverty Alleviation

Education provides the knowledge, values and skills

that form the foundation for lifelong learning and

professional success. Education is child centered,

gender-sensitive and tailored to different groups. As

long as girls do not have equal access to education,

gender equality is but a pipe dream. But beyond merely

having equal access to education, true gender equality

means that schools are gender-sensitive environments that

promote equal participation and empowerment (Money

j,2010,the natural superiority of a woman).

Gender equality requires adapting equally to the

needs and interests of girls and boys, creating a school

environment that is friendly to both sexes and ensuring

that women are equally represented in teaching,

administrative and educational leadership roles. This

promotes the realization of roles by both girls and boys.

The gender equality equation is a powerful one. By

combining the right to education with rights within

education, we can achieve rights through education.

Indeed, gender equality is an essential strategy for

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ending discrimination and achieving poverty alleviation

(Money, 2010, The Natural Superiority of a Woman).

According to Geeta Sharma (2005), Editor

learningchannel.com in his discussions developed on the

website www.learningchannel.org, he puts the fact that

that investing in human capital is one of the most

effective means of reducing poverty. Yet, women in

developing countries usually receive less education than

men. More so, women in general enjoy far less employment

opportunities than men the world over. Any claims and

efforts then, to remove poverty, can show results only if

they address the issue of education. In recent decades,

there have been large gains, no doubt on comparable

levels, in basic rights and opportunities, in life

expectancy and enrolment ratios for women. But despite

these gains, the stark reality has not changed. There

still are large gender disparities in basic human rights,

resources, and economic opportunity, and in political

rights- the world over. This is due to lack of education

opportunities for female beings; hence the researcher

outlines that poverty will either increase or be on the

static point but definitely not reduce.

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In South Asia, women have only half as many years of

schooling as men. This according to Lion’s club project

on women education (2003). In much of Sub-Saharan Africa

women obtain land rights, chiefly through their husbands

as long as the marriage endures and women account for

only ten percent of seats in Parliaments worldwide

because they fail to reach the required education

standards, this puts women in the poverty cycle . So

until nations are able to address this issue unbalance

education opportunities toward females and resolve it,

the vicious cycle of poverty will continue to pervade.

This is because poverty leads to and aggravates gender

discrimination – it is in the poorer sections and nations

that instances of gender biases and inequality are more

evident. Women and girls who are at the bottom of the

social, economic and political ladder in these societies,

get even lesser opportunities to have a command over

productive resources such as land or credit. Access to

the means to influence the development process is a rare

and difficult possibility. That in turn only puts poverty

on a rampart increase.

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In the published works by Beverly Lrby (2010), a

volume in research on women and Education, The writer

notes that Education is widely recognized as the gateway

to economic security and opportunity- particularly for

girls and women. World figures in literacy relate a sorry

tale. Of the 130 million 6-11 year-old children not in

school - a majority - 60 percent are girls. The figures

only go to show how in most regions of the world,

specially the developing societies, gender bias impinges

on girls' education, promoting poverty.

Educating girls is one of the best investments a

society can make. An educated woman has the skills, the

self-confidence and the information she needs to become a

better parent, worker, citizen and reduce poverty, wrote

Sheila Ruth (2000).

Girls’ lack of access to education isn’t always

related to scarcity of places in schools. It also emerges

from expectations, attitudes and biases in communities

and families. Economic costs, social traditions, and

religious and cultural beliefs limit girls’ educational

opportunities. Whatever the underlying reason(s), having

large number of girls outside the formal schooling system

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brings developmental challenges to both current and

future generations. Individuals, families, communities

and nations are affected. Inability to read, write and

calculate complicates a person’s efforts to engage in

both market-focused production and household activities

as effectively and efficiently possible. This affects

their family’s welfare and diminishes their potential

contribution to the development of the household, local

and national economy. This just increases poverty,

UNICEF, project on African education (2009).

Despite reported progress, there is still a

persistent gap between women and men’s access to

education. Combating the high rate of illiteracy among

women and girls remains an urgent global need. According

to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (2005), it is now

estimated that two-thirds of the world’s 875 million

illiterate adults are women. In Southern Asia, nearly

three in five women are illiterate and it is estimated

that half of all women in Africa and in the Arab region

are still illiterate.

Over the past 20 years, significant progress has

been made with regard to higher education. It is of

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particular interest that in countries where tertiary

education has expanded significantly, women’s school

enrolment has increased more than men’s, which is a

positive move towards poverty alleviation.

According to a fact Sheet on Review and Appraisal of

the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action –

report of the secretary general, in Namibia, 50 per cent

more women are enrolled in higher education than men;

Libya reports that more women go abroad for higher

education than men; in Canada, New Zealand, the United

States, and many European as well as some Latin American

and Caribbean countries, women’s enrolment in tertiary

education has reached more than 50 per cent. This has

also recorded an increase in poverty alleviation with

32.8 percent.

This is not all and enough to ensure that women get

equal employment opportunities. However, in the context

of the developing world, lack of education has forced

many women into the risky "informal" economy as street

traders, domestic servants, home workers and seasonal

laborers. This in turn reflects a continuing belief that

there is little benefit in educating a girl when she

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could be working in the market place or fields. Boys are

affected by this thinking, too, though not to the same

extent. This alone is very enough to promote poverty in

societies, increase HIV/AIDS that yields poverty. Randall

Margaret (2007) in his book this is about incest.

Although economically productive to society, once

again, women’s work, if they get the opportunity at all,

is rarely recognized in official statistics and the women

often get no protection from unions or employment

legislation because of the level of education.

Just as women's domestic work is undervalued, so are

their skills in the world of employment. Most are

concentrated in the poorly-paid, low-skilled "women's"

sectors of the economy like Free Trade Zones set up in

many developing countries to attract foreign companies.

Educating girls and women is an important step in

overcoming poverty. Inequality and poverty are not

inevitable. “The focus on poverty reduction enables the

right to education to be a powerful tool in making a

change in the lives of girls and women. Poverty has been

universally affirmed as a key obstacle to the enjoyment

of human rights, and it has a visible gender profile. The

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main reason for this is the fact that poverty results

from violations of human rights, including the right to

education, which disproportionately affect girls and

women. Various grounds of discrimination combine,

trapping girls in a vicious downward circle of denied

rights. Denial of the right to education leads to

exclusion from the labour market and marginalization into

the informal sector or unpaid work. This perpetuates and

increases poverty” (Tomasevski, 2005).

Myra Sadker and David Sadker (2008) in their book,

FALLING AT FAIRNESS, The way out is not just to champion

education generally but to focus intently on one subset

of the problem: girls, who make up nearly 60 percent of

the kids out of school. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa,

only one in five girls gets any education at all. Here's

where to zero in on the challenge: most of the benefits

that accompany increased education are attributable to

girls, who use their schooling more productively than

boys. Women in the developing world who have had some

education share their earnings; men keep a third to a

half for themselves. This intern reduces poverty at all

levels in the society. When girls go to school, they

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marry later and have fewer, healthier children. For

instance, if an African mother has five years of

education; her child has a 40 percent better chance of

living to age 5. A World Health Organization (2010) study

in Burkina Faso showed that mothers with some education

were 40 percent less likely to subject their children to

the practice of genital mutilation. When girls get

educated, they are three times less likely to contract

HIV/AIDS. In this view, we see the contribution these

positive results will give to poverty alleviation.

Unfortunately, many African parents still don't know that

their own lives can be greatly improved if their

daughters go to school. They're often uncomfortable when

their girls have to travel long distances to school, but

in real sense this will reduce poverty.

Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper by World

Bank, International Monetary Fund, relates education of

women to poverty reduction. Education is a crucial

priority and of the four pillars to poverty reduction

strategy. This includes educating female and male as a

gender balanced approach.

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According to the report developed for USAID’s Office

of Women in Development by the EQUATE Project, Management

Systems International (Prime Contractor). The report was

contracted under GEW-I-00-02-00021-00, Task Order #1,

EQUATE: Achieving Equality in Education, in Kampala,

Uganda. The researchers outline that Education is

universally acknowledged to benefit individuals and

promote national development. Educating females and males

produces similar increases in their subsequent earnings

and expands future opportunities and choices for both

boys and girls. However, educating girls produces many

additional socio-economic gains that benefit entire

societies. These benefits include increased economic

productivity, higher family incomes, delayed marriages,

reduced fertility rates, and improved health and survival

rates for infants and children which in turn reduce

poverty. Over the years, education has focused on access

and parity - that is, closing the enrollment gap between

girls and boys - while insufficient attention has been

paid to retention and achievement or the quality and

relevance of education in Uganda. Providing a quality,

relevant education leads to improved enrollment and

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retention, but also helps to ensure that boys and girls

are able to fully realize the benefits of education. The

primary focus on girls’ access to education may overlook

boys’ educational needs. This approach also fails to

confront the norms and behaviors that perpetuate

inequality.

Research has shown that education is “one of the

most effective development investments countries and

their donor partners can make” (Basic Education Coalition

2004). “Adequate investments in education facilitate the

achievement of most other development goals and increase

the probability that progress will be sustained” (USAID

2005). Each year of schooling “increases individual

output by 4-7 percent, and countries that improve

literacy rates by 20-30 percent have seen increases in

gross domestic product (GDP) of 8-16 percent” (Basic

Education Coalition 2004). Education builds the human

capital that is needed for economic growth (USAID 2005).

It also produces significant improvements in health,

nutrition, and life expectancy, and countries with an

educated citizenry are more likely to be democratic,

politically stable and reduced poverty.

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According to Action for Development (ACFODE), a

research firm located Plot 623/624 Bukoto, Kampala

(Uganda), Educating girls achieves even greater results.

When girls go to school, they tend to delay marriage,

have fewer but healthier children, and contribute more to

family income and national productivity. In fact,

“educating girls quite possibly yields a higher rate of

return than any other investment available in the

developing world” (Summers 1992). Despite this fact, in

2005 only 59 (about one-third) of 181 countries with data

available had achieved gender parity.

According to Little Sisters’ Teachers Association

(LISTA), P.o.Box 238, Soroti, Uganda, it sees education

equality as basic aspect of poverty alleviation.

Education is a fundamental human right: Every child is

entitled to it. It is critical to our development as

individuals and as societies, and it helps pave the way

to a successful and productive future. When we ensure

that children have access to a rights-based, quality

education that is rooted in gender equality, we create a

ripple effect of opportunity that impacts generations to

come.

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Education enhances lives. It ends generational

cycles of poverty and disease and provides a foundation

for sustainable development. A quality basic education

better equips girls and boys with the knowledge and

skills necessary to adopt healthy lifestyles, protect

themselves from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted

diseases, and take an active role in social, economic and

political decision-making as they transition to

adolescence and adulthood. Educated adults are more

likely to have fewer children, to be informed about

appropriate child-rearing practices and to ensure that

their children start school on time and are ready to

learn. In addition, a rights-based approach to education

can address some of societies’ deeply rooted

inequalities. These inequalities condemn millions of

children, particularly girls, to a life without quality

education - and, therefore, to a life of missed

opportunities and increased poverty.

How Empowerment Contributes to Poverty Alleviation

Empowerment refers broadly to the expansion of

freedom of choice and action. For poor people, that

freedom is severely curtailed by their voice less ness22

and powerlessness in relation particularly to the state

and markets. Six out of ten of the world’s poorest people

are women who must, as the primary family caretakers and

producers of food, shoulder the burden of tilling land,

grinding grain, carrying water and cooking. This

increases poverty. In Kenya, women can burn up to 85

percent of their daily calorie intake just fetching

water.

Yet some 75 percent of the world's women cannot get

bank loans because they have unpaid or insecure jobs and

are not entitled to property ownership. This is one

reason why women comprise more than 50 percent of the

world’s population but own only one percent of the

world's wealth, a sign of increased poverty. Bernice

j(1999).

Equality between men and women is more than a matter

of social justice - it’s a fundamental human right. But

gender equality also makes good economic sense. When

women have equal access to loans, and go on to

participate fully in business and economic decision-

making, they are a key driving force against poverty.

Women with equal rights are better educated, healthier,

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and have greater access to land, jobs and financial

resources. Their increased earning power in turn raises

household incomes. By enhancing women’s control over

decision-making in the household, empowerment also

translates into better prospects and greater well-being

of children, reducing poverty of future generations.

Empowering women requires the removal of formal and

informal institutional barriers that prevent them from

taking action to improve their wellbeing - individually

or collectively and that leads to poverty alleviation.

The key formal institutions include the state, markets,

civil society, and international agencies; informal

institutions include norms of social exclusion,

exploitative relations, and corruption. UNICEF, UGANDA

(2004).

Deepa Narayan, Senior Adviser, Poverty Reduction and

Economic Management (PREM), under the leadership of

Nicholas Stern, Senior Vice President and Chief

Economist, and Gobind Nankani, Vice-President, PREM,

with joint guidance from John Page, Director, Poverty

Reduction Group and Steen Jorgensen ,Director, Social

Development, all at the World Bank in Washington, D.C ,in

24

February(2001), identifies the four elements of

empowerment:

Access to information: Information is power.

Informed women are better equipped to take advantage of

opportunity, access services, exercise their rights, and

hold state and non-state actors accountable. Critical

areas where information is most important include state

and private sector performance, financial services and

markets, and rules and rights regarding basic services.

All these sectors should have women incorporated.

Information and communication technologies often play a

pivotal role in broadening access to information. If

women are put in the position of accessing this, poverty

would reduce in the society.

Inclusion/ participation: Opportunities for women

people and other excluded groups to participate in

decision making are critical to ensure that use of

limited public resources builds on local knowledge and

priorities, and brings about commitment to poverty

reduction. However, sustaining inclusion and informed

participation usually requires changing the rules so as

to create space for women to debate issues and

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participate in local and national priority setting,

budget formation, and delivery of basic services. In this

case, women will be able to actively suggest ideas on

development address feminine issues and reduce poverty

among themselves.

Accountability: State officials, public employees,

and private actors must be held answerable for their

policies, actions, and use of funds. Government agencies,

both administrative and political, and firms must have

horizontal or internal accountability mechanisms, and

must also be accountable to their citizens and clients

for their performance. Putting women in such driving

areas will promote transparency in every aspect .women

will feel important and put out the best performance

hence work towards poverty alleviation.

Local organizational capacity: This refers to the

ability of people to work together, organize themselves,

and mobilize resources to solve problems of common

interest. Organized women in communities are more likely

to have their voices heard and their demands met. This

can only be achieved if they are empowered well.

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The four elements of empowerment-information,

inclusion/participation, accountability, and local

organizational capacity-can be combined to create more

effective, responsive, inclusive, and accountable

institutions. Such institutions enable women to develop

their own capabilities, increase their assets, and move

out of poverty.

UNFPA research (2011) also gives a clear insight in

women empowerment. Despite many international agreements

affirming their human rights, women are still much more

likely than men to be poor and illiterate. They usually

have less access than men to medical care, property

ownership, credit, training and employment. They are far

less likely than men to be politically active and far

more likely to be victims of domestic violence. The

ability of women to control their own fertility is

absolutely fundamental to women’s empowerment and

equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan

the rest of her life. When she is healthy, she can be

more productive. And when her reproductive rights -

including the right to decide the number, timing and

spacing of her children, and to make decisions regarding

27

reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and

violence - are promoted and protected, she has freedom to

participate more fully and help in poverty reduction.

Where women’s status is low, family size tends to be

large, which makes it more difficult for families to

thrive. Population and development and reproductive

health programmes are more effective when they address

the educational opportunities, status and empowerment of

women. When women are empowered, whole families benefit,

and these benefits often have ripple effects to future

generations.

The roles that men and women play in society are not

biologically determined - they are socially determined,

changing and changeable. Although they may be justified

as being required by culture or religion, these roles

vary widely by locality and change over time. UNFPA has

found that applying culturally sensitive approaches can

be key to advancing women’s empowerment while respecting

different forms of social organization.

Addressing women’s issues also requires recognizing

that women are a diverse group, in the roles they play as

well as in characteristics such as age, social status,

28

urban or rural orientation and educational attainment.

Although women may have many interests in common, the

fabric of their lives and the choices available to them

may vary widely. UNFPA seeks to identify groups of women

who are most marginalized and vulnerable (women refugees,

for example, or those who are heads of households or

living in extreme poverty), so that empowerment address

their specific needs and concerns that reduce poverty.

This task is related to the critical need for sex-

disaggregated data, and UNFPA helps countries build

capacity in this area.

Key Issues and Linkages from UNFPA Women Empowerment

Research

Reproductive health: Women, for both physiological

and social reasons, are more vulnerable than men to

reproductive health problems. Reproductive health

problems, including maternal mortality and morbidity,

represent a major – but preventable -- cause of death and

disability for women in developing countries. Failure to

provide information, services and conditions to help

women protect their reproduction health therefore

constitutes gender-based discrimination and a violation29

of women’s rights to health, life and build a poverty

free society.

Stewardship of natural resources: Women in

developing nations are usually in charge of securing

water, food and fuel and of overseeing family health and

diet. Therefore, they tend to put into immediate practice

whatever they learn about nutrition and preserving the

environment and natural resources, a positive move to

alleviate poverty.

Economic empowerment: More women than men live in

poverty. Economic disparities persist partly because much

of the unpaid work within families and communities falls

on the shoulders of women and because they face

discrimination in the economic sphere.

Educational empowerment: About two thirds of the

illiterate adults in the world are female. Higher levels

of women's education are strongly associated with both

lower infant mortality and lower fertility, as well as

with higher levels of education and economic opportunity

for their children. If this is well addressed, it can

lead to poverty alleviation.

30

Political empowerment: Social and legal institutions

still do not guarantee women equality in basic legal and

human rights, in access to or control of land or other

resources, in employment and earning, and social and

political participation. Laws against domestic violence

are often not enforced on behalf of women.

Empowerment throughout the life cycle: Reproductive

health is a lifetime concern for both women and men, from

infancy to old age. UNFPA supports programming tailored

to the different challenges they face at different times

in life.

UNICEF research, (2000) has shown that addressing

poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment requires

strategic interventions at all levels of programming and

policy-making.

The process through which women, who are currently

most discriminated against, get empowerment. This will

include support for men to change those aspects of their

behavior, roles and privileges which currently

discriminate against women. The extent of current

disadvantage and inequality means that women’s

empowerment may require support by development agencies

31

at household, community and macro levels and that will

reduce poverty. According Makerere University, Department

of Women and Gender Studies, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala on

the research of women empowerment, 2009, the researcher

talks about empowerment as a progression

That reduces poverty through:

Welfare: The level of material welfare of women,

relative to men in such matters as food supply,

income and medical care.

Access: Women's access to the factors of production:

land, labour, credit, training, marketing facilities

and all publicly available services and benefits on

an equal basis with men;

Conscientisation: The understanding of the

difference between sex roles and gender roles, and

that the latter are cultural and can be changed;

Participation: Women's equal participation in the

decision-making process, policymaking, planning and

administration.

Equality of Control: over the factors of production,

and the distribution of benefits so that neither men

nor women are in a position of dominance.

It has become widely accepted that promoting women’s

empowerment and ending violence against women is

essential to achieving human development, poverty

eradication and economic growth on the African continent.32

The Millennium Declaration of 2000 resolves to promote

the empowerment of women as effective ways to combating

poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate sustainable

development. By implication, it recognizes the centrality

of gender equality and empowerment of women to the

achievement of all international development goals and

also has a goal specifically addressing gender equality3.

The UN World Summit in 2005 recognized the importance of

achieving MDG 3 through gender equality in education,

non-agricultural employment and participation in decision

making. In addition the Summit reiterated the importance

of promoting women’s right to own and inherit property;

ensuring tenure of property and housing, and equal access

to productive assets and resources, including land,

credit and technology; ensuring universal access to

reproductive health; and eliminating all forms of

discrimination and violence against women and girls. The

Summit noted, significantly that failure to make any

meaningful strides in these areas would not only result

in imbalances in the distribution of opportunities and

benefits of development, but also hamper the achievement

of all the MDGs (UN RECORDS, 2011).

33

Young women are less susceptible to unemployment in

sub-Saharan Africa. This does not imply, however, that

young women in sub-Saharan Africa have better access to

the labor market; rather, they do not have the “luxury”

to actively search for a job and hence take up employment

in the informal sector, or are remaining outside the

labor force, which are both not reflected by unemployment

figures that reflect high levels of poverty. At the same

time, young females in North Africa continue to face

barriers to gaining a job in these countries, which is

captured by unemployment figures. Women’s economic

empowerment is measured through their share in wage

employment in the nonagricultural sector as part of MDG

3. Although female employment rate for some African

countries has increased. Since 1990, none of the

countries for which recent data are available has reached

the 50% gender parity in wage employment. The countries

that were closer to reaching the parity target of 50% in

2004 are: South Africa (45.9); Botswana (43); Ethiopia

(40.6). Namibia scored 48.8 in 2000 (UNICEF/UN PUBLIC

RECORDS) and may have reached parity if such trend has

been sustained. The major challenges affecting the

34

achievement of poverty alleviation in the society include

the low empowerment that still disadvantage women in most

countries and the continuous heavy burdens of unpaid

domestic work, child-bearing and child-care, which

restrict the time and energy available for income-earning

activities that leads to increased poverty levels.

The progress in poverty alleviation is a

prerequisite for women’s effective participation in

agriculture for instance, cannot be sufficiently

emphasized. In most African countries however, gender

relations often play a central role in determining land

rights and production relations in Ghana (Awumbilla et.al.,

2004). However, adequate data on land access, which would

have otherwise been used to analyze the situation more

crucially, is generally lacking on the continent. In

Ghana for example, gender inequalities in land access

between men and women have mainly been documented through

secondary research (for example, FAO, 2004). These show

that women’s access rights are dependent on men, most

often their husbands (FAO, 2004). Awumbilla et.al., (2004)

observe that while demographic factors such as population

increases have resulted in a reduction in both male and

35

female access to land, women are more adversely affected,

as men tend to be given priority where land is in

relatively short supply. The lack of reliable data has

led some researchers to use proxy data to determine

women’s status in relation to land. Awumbilla et.al.,

(2004), for instance, use data from the Ghana Lands

Commission (GLC) on registration of family and stool

lands in some suburbs of the Greater Accra Region to

determine land ownership by sex. Although not based on

agricultural plots, they do provide broad indications of

access. Using records for the period 1990-2003 they

demonstrate that less than a third of registered family

and stool lands are owned by females and that the

percentage owned by women was on the decrease. This just

increases poverty.

How Inheritance Contributes to Poverty Alleviation

Inheritance is the practice of passing on property,

titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of

an individual. It has long played an important role in

human societies and poverty alleviation. The rules of

inheritance differ between societies and have changed

over time.36

Andrew Norton - Research Director, ODI (July28,

2011), notes that Assets can be an important source of

social mobility and in low income developing countries

land is the key asset. It is the primary source of

wealth, social status, and power and provides the basis

for shelter, food, economic activities and eventually

alleviates poverty. Conversely, limited access to and

control of land can restrict livelihood opportunities;

constrain coping strategies in the face of negative

events and inhibit investments in human capital

formation. In many developing countries women rarely have

independent property rights; instead they access

productive assets through their fathers, husbands or

adult sons an attitude that promotes poverty among women.

Land is commonly obtained through inheritance but women

are rarely allowed to inherit land. This influences their

ability to make independent decisions and, particularly

if widowed or divorced, limits their ability to feed and

educate their children and escalate poverty.

Peace child international Ugandan (2010) research

relates inheritance of property to empowerment hence

reduce poverty. “Independent and effective land rights

37

for women are vital for welfare, food security, gender

equality, empowerment, economic efficiency and poverty

alleviation.” Although inheritance and land rights are

complex issues and vary according to culture and context,

the ability to control your own land and home is an

important factor in women’s empowerment. Uganda has no

actual laws that bar women from owning land yet few have

property rights because the customary practice is to give

land to male family members. Where it is common for women

to marry into another family, and for men to stay in

their own family, male-only inheritance ensures that land

stays within the same family. This promotes poverty among

households. There are many types of customary laws, but

all are maintained through widely held beliefs by both

men and women that put women at bay at escalate poverty.

Owning Land

Disempowering customary assumptions can be

reinforced by land ownership laws. Many countries in sub-

Saharan Africa are in various stages of amending laws

which prevent women from gaining access to land and

property. There is, however, a long way to go. In Kenya

women provide 70% of agricultural labour but only own 1%

38

of the land they farm. The HIV/AIDS crisis has

accelerated these pressures, of the 30% of female headed

households in southern Africa, few can claim ownership of

their home. In countries significantly affected by the

HIV/ AIDS pandemic, stripping women of their land and

shelter has devastated the lives of many vulnerable

women, placing their lives at greater risk and imposing

poverty in societies. If this is addressed, poverty

alleviation could be reached.( Working Paper - Chronic

Poverty Research Centre www.chronicpoverty.org,2011)

Careful Lawmaking

Securing land and inheritance rights 'is a critical

dimension for ensuring gender equality' says Anna

Tibaijuka in July 2011, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

But it is not simply a question of changing the law.

Combating discrimination based on customs or traditions

requires different approaches depending on where it is

happening as well as what form it takes. Women who make a

living from working common lands might not be helped by

changes in land-ownership laws alone. Any land reform law

would need to guarantee equal access to it. Challenging

the tradition of male-only inheritance could do a lot to

39

advance and equalize the position of women. Customary

practices can also be challenged by writing a will,

outlining who you wish to inherit your property or

wealth. By giving you a formal document, witnessed by an

independent person, a will gives a person authority over

their lives, an important element in empowerment,

inheritance and poverty reduction.

Inheriting Empowerment

Wealth is not only generated by working hard in most

societies but is often inherited and can be a fundamental

way to secure your livelihood. In some Middle Eastern

countries, where practices are based on Shar’ia Law, a

woman’s inheritance share is half that of a man’s. This

deprives women of both their assets and their home,

losing their marital savings, and when a widow does not

work she is left with nothing. Such practices contribute

to the ‘feminization of poverty’. A woman’s right to

inherit is protected by International Human Rights Law,

and yet in Jordan one report showed evidence that some

women are subjected to systematic harassment, bullying

and beating, by both their female and male elders, until

40

they agree to give up their inheritance to their

brothers. This promotes poverty (UNFPA, 2008).

Careful Lawmaking

Securing land and inheritance rights 'is a critical

dimension for ensuring gender equality' says Anna

Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-Habitat. But it is

not simply a question of changing the law. Combating

discrimination based on customs or traditions requires

different approaches depending on where it is happening

as well as what form it takes. Women who make a living

from working common lands might not be helped by changes

in land-ownership laws alone. Any land reform law would

need to guarantee equal access to it. Challenging the

tradition of male-only inheritance could do a lot to

advance and equalize the position of women. Customary

practices can also be challenged by writing a will,

outlining who you wish to inherit your property or

wealth. By giving you a formal document, witnessed by an

independent person, a will gives a person authority over

their lives, an important element in empowerment and

poverty alleviation.

Recognizing Inequality41

Not owning property also contributes to women’s

lower social status and increases their vulnerability to

poverty. “Women who do not own property are far less

likely to take economic risks and realize their full

economic potential.” The South African Development

Community adopted The Gender and Development Protocol in

2008. This improves the legal status of women by

recognizing that women often have unequal status in

relation to property rights. Where women are

discriminated against, the government can shore up the

foundations of women’s rights. The Protocol recommends

that states reform policies and laws which determine

access to and control of land. Decisively, it explicitly

calls for states to protect widows against the property

grabbing like that which Maha experienced. By giving a

route to legal protection it confronts the cultural house

of discrimination in which women are currently expected

to live as lesser than their male fathers, brothers,

uncles and sons an attitude that promotes poverty.

As noted already, in many countries, women

constitute a large portion of the economically active

population. However, in many parts of the world, women

42

have little or no access to resources such as land

because they are not allowed to inherit property.

Moreover, women tend to remain concentrated in the

informal sector of the economy. In plantations, they

often provide labour without employment contracts, on a

temporary or seasonal basis or as wives or daughters of

male farm workers,a situation that just takes poverty to

higher levels.there are also other succession laws that

hinder women from having inheritance rights and

opportunities. According to Guivant, J.S. 2001. Gender

and Land Rights in Brazil. Paper prepared for the UNRISD

Project on Agrarian Change. He notes out some reasons why

women do not inherite property an act that promotes

poverty. He points out on inheritance rights as one major

aspect against women inheritance that leads to does not

favor poverty alleviation.

Succession law affects women's access to land

rights, particularly in countries where land sales are

rare and inheritance is the primary form of land

acquisition. Problems can arise where testamentary

freedom is very broad, as testators may leave land to

male relatives, following socio-cultural practices. Some

43

legal systems recognize a nearly absolute testamentary

freedom, providing only for the maintenance of the

surviving spouse. The Mexican Agrarian Law 1992, for

instance, which created institutional arrangements for

holding and managing land redistributed under agrarian

reform (ejidos), allows ejidatarios (individual right-

holders) to freely choose one heir (ejido rights cannot

be subdivided) among the spouse, a child or “any other

person”. The ejidatario may exclude the spouse from

succession, and field studies reveal that in many Mexican

states land is usually left to the eldest son. (Katz,

1999).this leaves women with no choice on inheritance

hence poverty cannot be reduced.

In rural areas where customary law is applied,

women's inheritance rights are often severely limited,

not only within patrilineal systems (where property

devolves along the male line, to the exclusion of women),

but also in matrilineal systems (where, although property

traces through the mother's line, land control usually

rests with male family members). For instance, among the

Mossi of Burkina Faso, wives and daughters usually do not

inherit land, and even Muslim women, who under Shari'a

44

law are generally entitled to half the share of men, tend

to waive their rights in favor of their brothers. Similar

patterns are found in India. (Agarwal, 1994) On the other

hand, in the bilateral inheritance systems of the

Philippines, where inheritance follows both the male and

the female line, succession norms adopt either the

primogeniture system (whereby land is inherited by the

eldest male or female child) or the equal sharing system

(whereby all male and female heirs inherit equally). The

surviving spouse, male or female, may not inherit, but

holds land as a trustee for the children. (Judd and

Dulnuan, 2001).if you critically look at that, you will

realize that inheritance for women is not guaranteed,

this makes them the most vulnerable just making bad

situations of poverty worse.

In relation to succession, judicial decisions may

annul or limit customary norms. In Nigeria, the Enugu

Court of Appeal invalidated norms providing for

inheritance by male family members only (Mojekwu v.

Mojekwu, 1997, 7 NWLR 283) and subjecting inheritance by

daughters to their undertaking to remain unmarried and

raise their brothers (Mojekwu v. Ejikeme, 2000, 5 NWLR

45

402). On the other hand, the courts of some countries

have upheld rigid and discriminatory interpretations of

customary law. For instance, the Supreme Court of

Zimbabwe upheld a customary norm excluding women from

intestate succession, naming as the heir the second male

child instead of the eldest female child (Magaya, 1998).

46

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter will comprise the study area, study

population, research design, sample size and sampling

procedures, methods of data collection, research

instruments, fieldwork procedures, data processing,

analysis, and report writing.

Locale of the Study

The research will be carried out in Bunsule village.

The village is in Kalagala Sub-county, 32km North of

Kampala City along the Gayaza-Zirobwe road in Luwero

District. The village is bordered by Katikamu to its

47

East, Zirobwe in the West, Busukuma to the Southeast, and

Bamunanika to its North.

Research Design

The study will use both quantitative and qualitative

methods. The quantitative method will use correlation

design to determine the relationship between gender

equality and poverty alleviation in Bunsule village. The

compiling of inferences and calculation will help to

establish the relationship between gender equality and

poverty alleviation, which will be interpreted using the

qualitative method.

The study will also be qualitative as since it will

describe how education, empowerment, and inheritance

influence poverty alleviation. The use of two methods is

intended to draw a true conclusion from the data

gathered.

Study Population

The study will be done in Bunsule village. It has a

population of 760 people in 150 households (Uganda

National Housing Census: UNHC, 2009). This will comprise

both female and males. The population of the study will

48

include the peasant farmers, the working class, and the

non-working class.

Target Population

The target population will be the households and it

will only get the views of those aged 15 years and above.

It will consider the views of those who have been living

in a household for the last three months. This is because

they tend to understand the situation better.

Sample Size

The sample size will be picked from a target of 150

households that will be thought to be enough to determine

the relationship between gender equality and poverty

alleviation.

This will be calculated using Taro Yamanne’s (1970)

formula.

n = N . 1 + N(e)2

Where; n = Desired sample population

N = Target population of households (150)

e = Desired marginal error (0.05)2

n = 150 . 1 + 150(0.05)2

n = 150 . 1 + 0.375

n = 150 . 49

1.375

n = 109 Households

Sampling Procedure

The researcher will use random sampling because of

its simplicity and its periodic quality. The researcher

will randomly pick the subject from the population. This

is intended to give equal chance of the target population

to be selected for the sample.

Methods of Data Collection

The self-administered questionnaire/ interview

schedule on gender equality and poverty alleviation in

Bunsule village will be used. This tool is preferred

because it is quick in data collection and it has a

higher completion rate, and all questions are always

responded to and it keeps confidentiality too.

Research Instrument Construction

A questionnaire/ Interview schedule will be

constructed and modified in the form of a self-

administered questionnaire/ interview schedule. The

questionnaire will be administered as an interview50

schedule for the respondents who could not read and

write, and other respondents. The questionnaire will

contain close-ended and open-ended questions. The

instrument will be constructed in sections; that is,

Section A will contain questions on demographic

information, Section B will contain close-ended questions

on the variables of the study on a four point Likert

scale of:

Symbol Points

Interpretation

1 = Strongly agree SA 3.21-4.002 = Agree A 2.41-3.203 = Disagree D 1.61-2.404 = Strongly disagree SD 0.8 –

1.60

Validity and Reliability

This means the precision and consistency in which

the measuring instrument is demonstrated. The statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) will be used to

determine the reliability of the tool for collecting data

using SPSS. The researcher will pretest the instrument in

Kalungu village if one alpha coefficient will be 0.7

and above, then the instrument will be reliable for data

collection.51

The instrument of data obtained in various sections

being studied is called validity. Validity of the

instrument will be done with the help of the instructor

by going through to check if the instrument will give

real results.

Data Processing and Analysis

Data processing and analysis will include:

Coding: This is the process of assigning numerous or

other symbols to answers so that responses can be placed

into limited number of categories or classes. Various

items in the questionnaire will be assigned categories so

as to make coding frames.

Coding will be done on all sections of quantitative

questionnaires and open-ended questions which, where

having similar answers, will be assigned the same code

from those with different codes. Codes, therefore, will

be used to enter data into the computer. This study will

use a four (4) point Likert scale sampling.

Mean/ Average

H.V = Highest Value H.V – L.VL.V = Lowest Value H.V

4 – 1 = 0.75 =0.8

4

52

Points Mean/Average

Interpretation

1 Strongly agree 04 3.21-4.002 Agree 03 2.41-3.203 Disagree 02 1.61-2.404 Strongly disagree 01 0.8 - 1.60

Post coding will be done after questionnaires and

the questions placed in categories as per objectives.

This will be done for open-ended questions. To save time

and resources, entering codes for pre-coding and

computing with SPSS will be done after post-coding.

SPSS will be used to analyze data that is

quantitative. This is so because SPSS package is found to

be simpler and makes it easy to analyze and interpret

social science data.

The researcher will use frequencies to denote the

number of responses for quantitative data, statistical

methods of data analysis will be used for each objective.

Editing

This is a process of detecting and eliminating

errors or keeps them to a minimum in the completed

questionnaire. This helps the researcher to check for

completeness of the questions, accuracy in answering

53

questions. It also helps the researcher to check if the

instruments and questions were interpreted by

interviewers uniformly. The new data collected using

interviews schedule and self-administered questionnaire

will be edited by the researcher during fieldwork by

making sure that all questions intended to be asked have

been answered.

Central Editing

This will be done after collecting data from the

field to make sure that all questions have been answered.

Tabulation

A contingency table will be created from the

multivariate frequency distribution of statistical

variables.

Anticipated Limitations

The researcher expects to face language barrier as a

problem since he is not a Ugandan. Be it that way, the

researcher will seek help of a research assistant who is

well advanced with the local language in the area who

will help in interview and also explaining the reason for

research to the respondents.

54

REFERENCES

Action for Development - Uganda (2009). Girl-ChildEducation. ACFODE Press.

Afsha, M. (2005). Faith and Freedom: Women’s Human Rights in theMiddle East. New York: Syracuse University Press (4Th

Edition).

Angelou, M. (1991). The Heart of a Woman. New York: RandomHouse.

Aswad, B. (2004). Family and Gender. Philadelphia: TempleUniversity Press.

Baccon, M.H. (2000). Feminism. 4Th Ed. San Francisco:Harper and Row.

Bardwick, J. (1999). Feminine Personality and Conflict. Westport,CT: Greenwood Press Orig. Pub.

Bernice, J. (1999). Poverty Alleviation. Yale: Yale UniversityPress.

Beverly, L. (2010). Women and Education. Boston: HoughtonMifflin Press.

Biedleck, T. (2004). Psychology of Women and Poverty Alleviation.4Th Ed. New York: Harper and Row.

Geeta, S. (2005).http://www.learning-channel.com/

Little Sisters Teachers Association. Soroti, Uganda.“Education and Poverty Alleviation.” Little SistersPublishing.

55

Mek, A. (2003). Lions Club Project as Women Education. Lions ClubInternational Press.

Money, J. (2010). The Natural Superiority of a Woman. New York:Columbia University Press.

Myra, S., and Sadker, D. (2008). Falling at Fairness. Lanham,MD: Rowman and Littlefield.

Nortion, A. (2011). Inheritance and Social Mobility. WashingtonDC: Washington University Press.

Randall, M. (2007). This is About Incest. Rutgers UniversityPress.

Sheila, R. (2002). Issues in Feminism. 5Th Ed. Mountain View,California: Mayfield Publishing.

Sherry, A. (2007). The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of theSacred in Women. 4Th Ed. New York: Bantam Books.

Stern, N. (2001). Poverty Reduction and Economic Management.

Tomasevski, (2005). Gender, Equality, and Poverty Reduction.Birmingham: Haworth Press.

UNESCO, Institute of Statistics (2005). World’s EducationLevels. Institute of Statistics Publishing House.

UNFPA, 2011. “Women Empowerment.” UNFPA PublishedResearch.

UNICEF, (2009). Project on African Education. UNICEF PressRelease.

UNICEF, Uganda (2004). “Empowering Women.” UNICEF Reports.UNICEF Press.

USAID, (2009). Achieving Quality Education in Kampala,Uganda.” USAID.

World Health Organization (2010). “Women Education inBurkina Faso.” World Health Organization Press.

56

APPENDIX I: SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Respondent,

I, Bwite Lukama, am a student of Bugema University

in the School of Social Sciences pursuing a Bachelor’s

57

Degree of Development Studies and therefore carrying out

a research on “Gender Inequality and Poverty Alleviation

among Households in Bunsule Village, Kakalgala Sub-

county, Luwero District in Uganda.” You have been

specially chosen to share your views in the preceding

questionnaire; be assured that the information you

present is intended purely for academic purposes. For

this matter, your name should not appear anywhere on this

questionnaire. Thank you.

SECTION A: (Bio-Data)

Please, tick [] where appropriate

1) Sex: Male [ ] Female [ ]

2) Age Bracket: 15-20 [ ] 21-30 [ ] 31

and Above [ ]

3) Education Level: Primary [ ] Secondary [

] Vocational/University [ ]

4) Occupation: Farmer [ ] Self-Employed [

] Civil Servant [ ]

SECTION B: QUESTIONS ON THE STUDY VARAIBLES

Tick [] in the appropriate box that corresponds to your

views

1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Disagree, 4 =

Strongly Disagree

5) Education 1 2 3 4a) There are more educated women than men inBunsule village.

b) Women have less education opportunitiescompared to men.

c) There are cultural norms and beliefs that

58

give men and boys an advantage in education.d) Boys are considered a priority when itcomes to educating children

e) Conditions in schools mostly favor boys.f) Women in Bunsule village do not just have

interest in education.6) Inheritance 1 2 3 4

a) Women are allowed to inherit property.b) Long-term assets like land are owned by

men.c) There are cultural beliefs and norms thathinder women from inheriting property.

d) Men are the allowed custodians of most

property.e) Religious beliefs put men at the helm of

property inheritance.f) Men have the overall decision on propertyinheritance because of their superiority inthe society.

7) Empowerment 1 2 3 4a) Women have less chances of getting loans.b) Men are less empowered than women.c) Women have access to empowerment

opportunities.d) Level of Education hinders women from being

empowered.e) Lack of education and employment disables women’s chances to meet conditions for getting loans.

f) Women’s empowerment addresses women’s needs, not gender needs hence receiving resistance in the society.

SECTION C: SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS59

8) What can be done to reduce poverty in Bunsule

village?

a) .....................................

.....................................................

.....................................

b) .....................................

.....................................................

.....................................

9) In your view/opinion, how can gender equality

be attained in Bunsule village?

a) .....................................

.....................................................

.....................................

b) .....................................

.....................................................

.....................................

60

61