Dear Femme Forte, As we bid farewell to an extraordinary year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the strides we have made together. Femme Forte Uganda stands as a testament to the power of feminist movement building, a beacon of hope for those who dare to dream of a world where equality and equity is not just a distant ideal but a lived reality. This year, 2024, our collective commitment to advancing equality found expression in remarkable ways. From hosting transformative conversations to amplifying the voices of the marginalized, we deepened our roots as a movement that centers justice, care, and systemic change. Through collaborations with partners across various sectors, we challenged norms that uphold inequality, created spaces of healing and growth, and fostered solidarity across communities. These connections remind us that feminism is not an individual pursuit but a collective endeavor that thrives on the strength of our relationships. Our work in 2024 reaffirmed that collaboration is the lifeblood of movement building. Together, we launched groundbreaking initiatives and projects that were bold acts of reclaiming our narratives. We stood united in the fight against femicides, sexual and gender based violence, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, reproductive justice, among others, recognizing that equality in the digital age demands that no one is left behind. We championed leadership transitions and inter generational conversations that honor feminist principles, ensuring that our work reflects not only where we stand today but where we aspire to go tomorrow. These achievements would not have been possible without the relentless dedication of our staff and board. To the Femme Forte Uganda team, thank you for embodying the values we hold dear and for your tireless commitment to driving the feminist agenda forward. Your creativity, resilience, and passion have been the backbone of every success we celebrate today. To our board, thank you for your wisdom, guidance, and belief in the transformative power of Femme Forte’s vision. Together, you have been architects of change, creating pathways for a more inclusive and equitable future. As we step into 2025, let us continue to harness the power of collaboration and movement building to dismantle systems of oppression and co-create a world where equality is not negotiable. Feminist work is work for the long haul and it is deliberate, as it is bold and hopeful. Let us recommit to doing this work with care, compassion, and conviction. To our partners, thank you for standing with us, for dreaming with us, and for walking this journey side by side. To our constituents, your courage inspires us, your stories empower us, and your resilience strengthens us. Femme Forte Uganda exists because of you, and we are honored to serve as stewards of this shared vision. Here’s to 2025, a year of greater strides, deeper connections, and transformative impact. Together, we will continue to rise, to build, and to lead. In gratitude and solidarity, Penelope Sanyu Chief Steward  Femme Forte Uganda

Today, is an unbelievable day. Many of us are dealing with shock , others have so many unanswered questions, others heavy hearts, guilt, shame, gratitude, respect, a whole mix of emotions. In all, we are here to acknowledge that life is fleeting and we must embrace our journeys with grace and love. Our hearts are heavy with the weight of sorrow and our spirits are downcast! But; We gather to celebrate the life of a man who was much more than just a colleague or friend. Norbert Ndawula, joined Femme Forte Uganda in November 2018 and left in May 2020. Though he is departed from this earthly life, he has left behind an indelible legacy woven into the very fabric of our community and our memories. Norbert was not only a storyteller by title but also by spirit. Did you ever hear this man laugh? His laughter told so many stories hidden within. He carried within him a rare gift—the ability to live and capture life in its purest form, to see beyond the ordinary, and to draw out the extraordinary from every story he encountered. With words and warmth, he transformed the lives of those who listened. He taught us to see with our hearts and to listen with compassion, bringing to life the hopes, dreams, and resilience of Femme Forte and those who make it what it is. His words lifted spirits, soothed pain, and reminded us all of our shared humanity. In every story Norbert was a part of, there was always laughter, a message of hope, a spark of joy, or a profound reminder of our strength. His years with Femme Forte were marked by unbridled dedication, boundless creativity, and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling to heal and to connect us. For Norbert, storytelling was never just about narrating events—it was about connecting with people, giving voice to the unheard, and championing causes close to his heart. Today, we mourn not only for his passing but for the stories left untold, the words unspoken, and the many hearts left yearning for his gentle and warm guidance. Yet, even as we grieve, we find comfort in knowing that his spirit lives on in every story he encountered, in the memories he gifted us, and in the lives he touched. Norbert has become a part of our shared history, a cherished chapter in the Femme Forte story. To his family, especially to mummy, Sandra, Pesh and Zoe we extend our deepest sympathies. Thank you for sharing Norbert with us, for allowing him to be a light in our lives and our work. We hope you find solace in knowing that he was—and will always be—immensely cherished, respected, and loved by so many. To Zoe, we have so many stories to share because we first heard about your conception and then told stories all through to your birth, your daddy was a great man, may you always remember him thus! As we prepare to lay our friend and colleague Norbert to rest in his ancestral home, let us not say goodbye but instead carry forward the lessons he left us. Let us honor his legacy by being storytellers of the spirit of laughter, hope, love, and resilience in our own ways. Rest in peace, Norbert Ndawula. Your stories will forever remain with us, and your light will never fade. On Behalf of the Femme Forte Community, Thank you.

“Someone will ask, ‘Will it pay?’ If it will, one will steal. If it won’t pay, one won’t steal. It should be too expensive to steal. This is why corruption is happening on a grand scale. They must steal enough to stay out of jail.” - Auditor General John Muwanga, May 31, 2013 The catalyst for the current #March2Parliament protests is a series of high-profile corruption scandals that have exposed the misuse of public funds by top government officials; the most egregious allegations involving the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among. The Speaker and a number of her staff are accused of breaching parliamentary rules by using private bank accounts to withdraw enormous amounts of money between April 2023 and January 2024, supposedly for Among’s official work including outreach, community projects, and expenses. Journalists also allege that Among oversaw the distribution of more than Shs1.7 billion in 2022 as “service awards” for parliamentary commissioners, who oversee spending and salaries in Parliament. (Wepukhulu, 2024) The #March2Parliament protests have articulated seven demands: the resignation of Anita Among as Speaker of Parliament, reduction in the number of MPs, immediate resignation of implicated MPs pending investigations into corruption allegations, comprehensive lifestyle audits of MPs with public disclosure, reduction of MPs' salaries and allowances to 3 million, and unrestricted exercise of Ugandans' democratic right to peaceful assembly without obstruction. 

In the pursuit of sustainable development and gender equality, the role of intellectual property (IP) rights cannot be understated. Intellectual property encompasses a wide range of creations, from inventions and innovations to artistic expressions and cultural heritage. Yet, despite their significant contributions to the intellectual landscape, women continue to face barriers such as underrepresentation and bias, limited access to resources such as funding, mentorship, and networks that are crucial for navigating and succeeding in IP systems, and societal expectations and cultural norms that discourage women from pursuing careers in STEM or asserting their rights in IP systems, among other things. Closing the gender gap in intellectual property is not only a matter of equity and justice but also a crucial component of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The menstrual cycle is an important part of many people’s lives. Despite this, misinformation, silence and shame abound around the topic. For menstrual hygiene day, I set out to write an article strictly about how you can use food to optimize your wellbeing during your period but I ended getting a lot more than that from my interview with Gilbert Nsanzimfura, a nutritionist with TMR International Hospital. He shared in detail about the 4 stages of the menstrual cycle, how you may feel, what you can eat and what you should avoid to get through each like a champ. Enjoy! Nutrition takes place for the entirety of mankind’s life, but for this article we are going to focus on nutrition for women of reproductive age. The menstrual cycle has 4 phases: Menstruation phase , Follicular phase , Luteal phase and Ovulation . Follicular phase: This is the phase between the first day after blood flow has stopped up to about the 13 th -14 th day when ovulation normally occurs. This stage involves a follicle stimulating hormone which facilitates the growth of follicles. These follicles will harbor a mature egg during the ovulation phase. Ovulation phase: This is where a mature egg (ovum) is released from the fallopian tubes. This is the shortest phase of the cycle, it can last up to 24 hours. This is called the excitement phase of the entire menstruation cycle. Luteal phase: It normally collides with menstruation and sometimes they are even confused to be the same phase. In the Luteal phase, the body is getting ready to start mothering an embryo; the egg is already released into the uterus for fertilization. This stage involves multiple hormones at the same time, including progesterone and oestrogen. These two hormones are very stubborn in that their reactions are very rapid. They both, each at a time, support the thickening of the uterine walls. This stage lasts about 10 to 15 days, from your ovulation day to the day you experience your first drop of blood flowing through the vagina if fertilization does not take place. Menstruation: This is normally the most distressing phase of the entire cycle. It lasts about 3-7 days although some might experience it for up to 10 days. Some women have them heavy, others light, others painful and others very painful. NUTRITION AND THE MENSTRUATION CYCLE First there are foods that need to be taken throughout each of these phases. These are foods you cannot do without, the first being Vitamins and minerals. The body cannot manufacture them on its own. The good news is that the body does not need a lot, this is why they are called micronutrients. Others are proteins, carbohydrates for energy and lipids. NUTRITION DURING THE FOLLICULAR PHASE At this point, your body has gone through changes. −You have lost blood, iron and minerals −Dizziness may be felt −You may feel weak Here it’s like building a house from ruins. You need to take all the food stuffs but mainly you need to replace the lost iron, the lost calcium and the lost magnesium. Foods to eat