Research carried out by the International Labor Organization (I.L.O.) estimates that women’s productive potential is underutilized by up to 50% as opposed to men’s, which stands at 22%. In Uganda in particular, a high proportion of employed women also work in low productivity, informal working arrangements and without adequate social protection or job security.
These factors negatively affect their well-being and that of their children especially if they are the primary care giver in the family.
The I.L.O. states that investing in women is one of the most effective means of increasing equality and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Investments in women-specific programs can achieve significant ripple effects for development, since women generally spend more of their income on the health, education and the well being of their families and communities than men do. In Uganda, women make up approximately 52.5% of the potential talent pool to help the country reach its development goals.
Despite this they are more disadvantaged than men due to legal impediments, established cultural norms and attitudes about
women’s roles, less mobility, and the unequal demands of domestic responsibilities on women’s time, etc.
Based on the above factors, She for She chose to work primarily with women in Uganda to create reusable sanitary towels and also create economic empowerment for them through job creation. The opportunity provided by She for She to Ugandan women promotes positive societal attitudes toward working women and builds women’s confidence in the workplace as well as increasing the well being of the women’s families in general.
Work Conditions
She for She’s employees work from 8am to 6pm from Mon-Sat. There is a lunch break for half an hour and tea break at 10am every day. Maternity leave is for 3 month for mothers once they have given birth. The salary is based on the same salary that a seamstress would receive in Uganda as we do not want to compete with competitors and create unnatural market conditions. Additionally we reward our employees with bonuses.