Five years of empowering Uganda’s youth in SRHR & gender equality unleashes impact
The festival closed with a pledge from all partners to continue building an enabling environment for youth to make informed choices about their health, futures, and leadership roles in society.
A landmark celebration recently converged stakeholders from across Uganda, marking five years of profound transformation and “unleashed impact” through the ‘Power to You(th)’ program. The two-day Power to You(th) Regional Learning & Celebration Festival commemorated five years of transformative programming in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and gender equality.
Hosted by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) and its consortium partners, the festival—held under the theme “Our Journeys in SRHR, Gender & Youth Programming” highlighted achievements, shared lessons, and charted new strategies to deepen youth empowerment.
Opening the event, Jackson Chekweko, Executive Director of RHU, reflected on the program’s growth since its launch.
“Five years ago, we dared to imagine a future where young people were not passive beneficiaries but active architects of change. Today, that dream has become reality,” Chekweko said.
He credited the program’s success to strong partnerships with government ministries, donors such as Sonke Gender Justice and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and regional solidarity.
Government representatives also underscored the urgency of sustained interventions. Dr. Irene Mwenyango, Acting Commissioner for Adolescent Health at the Ministry of Health, pointed to Uganda’s demographic challenge.
“Uganda is a youthful nation. To secure our future, we must empower young people. Yet challenges persist—teenage pregnancies remain at 24%, and early marriages continue to rob young people of opportunities,” she said.
Mwenyango lauded the program for reaching marginalized communities and called for stronger emphasis on evidence, accountability, and knowledge-sharing to ensure inclusivity.
Representing the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of State for Gender and Culture, framed the festival as both a celebration and a renewed call to action.
“Government alone cannot end harmful practices. But through shared responsibility, as Power to You(th) has demonstrated, we can sustain impact and scale change,” she noted.
“This initiative has tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing our youth—child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual and gender-based violence, and unintended pregnancies,” Mutuuzo concluded, emphasizing the demonstrable impact of a united front in youth empowerment and protection.
The Power to You(th) Uganda program, implemented by RHU in partnership with the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum and EASSI Eastern Africa Sub Region, has tackled issues including child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual and gender-based violence, and unintended pregnancies.
The festival closed with a pledge from all partners to continue building an enabling environment for youth to make informed choices about their health, futures, and leadership roles in society.
