By Ritah Mukasa
Phone ownership is a contentious issue in different farming communities in Lyantonde and Katakwi districts which are part of the cattle corridor.
A research team from the School of Women and Gender studies, Makerere University discovered that while majority of the women smallholder farmers in those two districts have mobile phones, few own smart phones. This is because, most men believe that smartphones push women to commit adultery.
However, to Hon. Dr. Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of state for Gender and Culture, that is a fallacy that needs to stop.
She roots for mindset change and urges men to allow their wives to own smartphones because they need the devices to access information on how to boost their yields and better their homes as well.
“You shouldn’t hold your wives back. They need the phones to access information. Times have changed. A mere phone can’t push a woman to cheat,” she said.
Mutuuzo made the remarks while officiating over an event where Makerere university researchers presented their findings to different stake holders at Skyz Protea hotel in Kampala on July 19.
For several months, the team had been engaging over 1,500 smallholder farmers through the Women Smallholder Farmers’ Empowerment and Resilience (WOSFER) project.
They include; Prof. Florence Kyoheirwe Muhanguzi, Dr. Brenda Boonabaana, Dr. Suzan Kavuma, Dr. Catherine Mulinde Kafeero, Adeline Rwashana Muheebwa and Dr. Joab Ezra Agaba. They were in partnership with; International Development Research Center (IDRC) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) plus the Association of Uganda Professional Women in Agriculture and Environment (AUPWAE).
They seek to strengthen the empowerment and adaptive capacity of women smallholder farmers in the cattle corridor together with their spouses.
According to Mutuuzo, to deny a wife access to a smartphone is to imprison them yet marriage should be enjoyable.
On the other hand, Prof. Muhanguzi says, much as the phone issue is contentious, her team will go ahead and offer the phones but after engaging the community leaders and couples.
She says, if women smallholder farmers are to benefit from agriculture, they have to own smartphones such that they get timely weather updates and agricultural advisory services.
“We are going to address it in a manner that will not raise any issues. We shall engage all stakeholders,” she says.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Hon. Dr. Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of state for Gender and Culture addressing guests during the event. Photo by Ritah Mukasa
