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The paper aimed to assess and share evidence on the labour market dynamics for women in Uganda and discuss the factors that influence female labour force participation across the two NLFS survey rounds, 2016/17 and 2021. Using descriptive analyses, the study finds a notable decline in overall employment rates between 2016/17 and 2021, with women experiencing a sharper reduction (six percentage points) than men (four percentage points).
The findings also indicate that employment rates for women peak between the ages of 35 and 39 years. Women predominantly work in vulnerable sectors, often as independent workers with no hired employees. In 2021, at least 65.1% of women worked in agriculture, while 22.4% worked in services and 12.2% worked in industry. Women’s overrepresentation in agriculture and underrepresentation in industry and services underscores systemic barriers, including restricted access to capital, training, and formal employment avenues.
Unpaid care work emerged as a critical constraint, with women spending significantly more hours on domestic responsibilities than men. The proportion of female youth categorised as Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) is nearly double that of male youths, further underscoring the compounded challenges of unpaid care, educational disparities, and limited job opportunities. The multinomial logistic regression analysis identified education as a pivotal factor influencing women’s employment outcomes. Higher educational attainment significantly increases the likelihood of formal wage employment, while those with lower education levels are more likely to be concentrated in informal roles.
The analysis further reveals that age, marital status, and urban residence shape the type of employment women engage in, with older women more likely to be self-employed, married women less likely to be unemployed while urban women are more likely to access wage employment. The study concludes that addressing gender disparities in employment requires comprehensive strategies, including targeted skills development, flexible work policies, enhanced social protections, and region-specific employment initiatives. By fostering inclusive labour markets and empowering women through education and policy reforms, Uganda can harness its female workforce’s potential to drive sustainable economic growth and gender equity.
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- Published Jun 11, 2026