Why I Started HER Working Women
In this personal narrative, the speaker recounts her experience leading community trainings in the rural area of Ibanda and later in Kampala, noticing a consistent pattern: women rarely speak up or ask questions when men are present. She describes how, after sessions, once the men leave, women become vocal, sharing questions and opinions they had held back. She attributes this silence to cultural and patriarchal expectations that discourage women from being opinionated or asking even non‑personal questions. Recognizing this pervasive issue—both in rural and urban Ugandan contexts and globally—she argues for the creation of women‑only, non‑judgmental spaces where women can comfortably express themselves without pressure to conform to male‑dominated norms.
