Corporate Governance, Gender Equality, and the Law in Uganda: A Feminist Comparative Inquiry

This study examines the adequacy of Uganda’s equal protection and anti-discriminatory laws in ensuring female representation on corporate boards, situating the analysis within corporate governance frameworks and feminist legal theory. Despite constitutional guarantees under Articles 21, 32, and 33, and Uganda’s ratification of instruments such as CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, women remain markedly underrepresented, often below 10% on corporate boards. Existing statutory instruments offer limited or non-binding provisions on gender diversity. Employing a doctrinal, socio-legal, and empirical methodology, the research analyses legal frameworks, case law, and policy instruments, supplemented by key informant interviews, structured questionnaires, and document reviews from eight Uganda Securities Exchange-listed companies. Comparative analysis draws lessons from jurisdictions with legislated quotas, such as Norway, France, and Germany, where binding measures have yielded significant gains in female board representation. Findings reveal that Uganda’s legal regime remains largely aspirational, relying on voluntary compliance and market forces, with enforcement mechanisms underutilised. The Equal Opportunities Commission possesses broad jurisdiction, including over the private sector, yet interventions are complaint-driven and infrequent. The Companies Act is silent on gender representation, reinforcing entrenched male dominance in board appointments. Respondents overwhelmingly (88%) supported adopting statutory quotas to accelerate gender equity. The study concludes that without binding legal mandates, robust enforcement, and targeted affirmative action, Uganda risks perpetuating governance structures that underutilise the strategic and ethical benefits of gender-diverse boards. Legislative reform, coupled with proactive regulatory oversight, is essential to translate constitutional principles into meaningful corporate governance outcomes