New IWCA Uganda Chapter Board Tables Transformative Agenda for Women Involvement in Coffee Value Chains

Kampala, 28 June 2018—For the Uganda Chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, the year 2018 has seen, and continues to see, numerous transitions and transformations—all towards empowering women in the coffee sector to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives, and encouraging and recognizing their participation in coffee value chain in Uganda.

During the Stakeholders Meeting and General Assembly that was held on Friday 1st June 2018 at Hotel Africa in Kampala, Uganda, the IWCA Uganda elected a new nine-member Board of Governors, comprising eight women and one man. Chaired by former Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Victoria Sekitooleko, the new board comprises renowned personalities with a range of experience and expertise in the different coffee value chains. who have individually, over the years participated in several activities within the coffee value chain in and out of Uganda.

The Chapter has tabled and maintains an ambitious to-to list, prioritizing lobbying and advocacy for women to stimulate meaningful, sustainable and women-led economic growth in Uganda’s coffee sector as well as to unrestricted participation of women throughout the coffee value chain in Uganda and beyond.

The membership of the IWCA Uganda Chapter did not only unanimously resolve to adapt the IWCA global mission of ‘empowering women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives; and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry’, but also resolved adopt the core values.

A key milestone reached was the review and adaption of the Chapter Constitutional. This is a strategically important milestone for the IWCA Uganda Chapter as it paves way for the long-awaited strategic guidance for the review and implementation of the Chapter’s five-year Strategic Plan, toward a shared mission for women in the coffee value chain.

“We would like to convey our sincere gratitude and special appreciation to all of our valued partners for the invaluable support and relationships that the IWCA Uganda Chapter continues to enjoy”, said Hon. Dr. Victoria Sekitooleko, the incoming President of the Chapter.

The IWCA Uganda Chapter was formed in 2010 and attained its legal status in 2012. Despite structural and socio-cultural impediments to women access to essential factors of production (including land, labor and loans and credit), women representation and capacity development do present significant challenges for active and meaningful involvement of women in the coffee value chains. The women want to be recognized for their participation and they feel they can contribute a lot to the coffee agenda.

In creating a shared value, the Chapter, under the stewardship of the new board is embracing a a theory of change, qualitatively describing the priority interventions essential to achieve the Chapter’s objectives over the next five years.