Table 1: Women Elected Representatives in the Ugandan Parliament, 1989-2021
| Year | Districts | Forum | AA | Open seat | Others | Women | Men | Total MP s | % Women | % Men |
| 1989
1994 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2019 2021 |
39
39 39 56 79 112 112 122 146 |
NRC
CA Parliament Parliament Parliament Parliament Parliament Parliament Parliament |
39
39 39 56 79 112 112 122 146 |
2
8 8 3 14 11 18 20 16 |
9
3 4 6 1 8 9 9 13 |
50
50 51 75 100 131 139 148 175 |
230
236 225 230 219 244 289 295 354 |
280
286 276 304 319 375 428 452 529 |
18
17 19 24 31 35 33 34 33 |
82
83 81 76 69 65 67 66 67 |
Sources: Electoral Commission of the Republic of Uganda (2016); Inter-Parliamentary Union (2018); Madanda (2017); Muriaas & Wang (2012); Parliament of the Republic of Uganda (2018); Electoral Commission (2021)
Table 1 above shows women representatives elected to Parliament in reserved (AA), open, and special interest seats, excluding ex-officials from 1989 to 2021. The 2021 elections produced only 16 females in the open seats in the 11th Parliament, a reduction from 20 in the 10th Parliament. There has been a reduction rather than an increase, given that constituencies keep increasing as more districts emerge while MPs on open seats are not growing by the same number. The findings indicate that the introduction of reserved seats for women over the past 30 years increased women’s participation in politics but has not brought dividends to celebrate the emancipation of women. The women MPs we have are a result of affirmative action; without it, the number of women would be much smaller. An explanation for the fewer women in the open seats is the stereotype and gendered perception that open seats are for men, as are opportunities presented for winning the seat, like the creation of new constituencies. The other reason is that parties discriminate against women in the open seats in the nomination stages of the political process (Individual Interviewee Oyam 2021). Although Uganda has been under a multiparty dispensation since 2006, political parties reinforce patriarchy because men continue to dominate party leadership positions, marginalise women in politics and government and suffocate women’s ambition for political office (Ahikire 2009:2). Despite the challenges of political parties to women’s political engagement, women must cultivate strategies of successfully transforming and working with parties to access political spaces and acquire political influence.