Gender
Empowering Women Leaders, How Smartphones Boost Voter Engagement
Over seven women leaders from Kasangati Town Council, Nangabo Sub-County, Wakiso district have been trained on effectively using various social media platforms to reach their constituents and engage with them freely whenever needed.
While many people own smartphones, they often use them mainly for entertainment and relaxation. These devices, however, can serve much more valuable purposes, enabling leaders to connect with voters, share information, and create meaningful impact.
The initiative aims to equip women leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to leverage digital technologies, ensuring they remain visible, responsive, and effective in the lead-up to the elections.
During a training session held at East Gate Restaurant in Kasangati, journalist and Trainer in Gender, Media, and Digital Literacy, Laila Ndagire, highlighted that many women own smartphones but lack the skills to use them effectively beyond entertainment and leisure.
She emphasized the potential of widely used yet inexpensive platforms such as WhatsApp. “Many people use WhatsApp daily, but they don’t know how to leverage it for meaningful engagement,” Ndagire noted.
The training focused on practical skills, including forming community WhatsApp groups, sending broadcast messages, securing accounts with private settings, and using social media strategically to reach voters.
One of the participants, Hon. Kannyabo Angel, Chairperson of Social Services in Kasangati Town Council, expressed her appreciation for the training. “Before this, I only used WhatsApp to send and receive messages one-on-one. Now, I’ve learned how to send messages to many people at once without forwarding them,” she said.
Angel added that in the past, notifying constituents about government programs, such as mass vaccination campaigns, was challenging. “With the knowledge I’ve gained on creating WhatsApp community groups, I can now effectively communicate important information to the people I represent,” she explained.
Another participant, Nabulya Hajara, a woman councillor for Katadde A in Katadde Parish, Kasangati Town Council, commended Laila Ndagire for the training. She explained that she had learned how to keep her messages private on WhatsApp, preventing them from being linked to anyone who might access her phone.
During the training, women actively engaged in practical sessions on securing privacy on WhatsApp, creating community groups, sending messages to multiple recipients at once, and using broadcast messages effectively. Laila emphasized that the timing of the workshop was crucial, as many participants are preparing to stand for various political positions. The skills acquired will enable them to communicate efficiently with their voters while seeking support.
The initiative aims to empower women leaders with the digital tools and skills necessary to engage their voters more efficiently, especially as the country approaches the 2026 general elections.
