Honorable Margaret Zziwa, a Minister of the East African Legislative Assembly, addressed participants Saturday morning at MUBS. In her role as representative of women’s interests, Zziwa offered a summary of the critical issues facing women in Uganda and greater East Africa today. Government programs postured to address these issues include the successful Affirmative Action in Education plan, which added a 1.5 point bonus to scores of female candidates applying to Makerere University - to rectify gender imbalances in enrollment.

Zziwa also provided detail about the process of East African integration - a shift that ultimately intends to achieve complete political integration of the region of 115 million.

In response to a participant question following her address, Zziwa painted an honest and compassionate portrait of the difficulties of being a female political leader in East Africa, from facing gender discrimination to figuring out how to pick up her children from school with her hectic work schedule.

Following Zziwa's address, participants learned about how women's issues are being tackled at the grassroots level in Uganda. Katusiime Twalib Rashid, a Ugandan Immersion participant, gave an overview of his work with the Youth and Women's Framework Organization - a group that provides a variety of support mechanisms for impoverished women and youth living in Kampala's poorest neigborhoods. An example includes a cooperative group of women that sell crafts to generate funds for a microfinance initiative.