Cecilia Atim Ogwal: a fearless Ugandan politician who spoke her mind and challenged conventions

Cecilia Atim Ogwal (1946-2024).& Anam Hilda/Wikimedia Commons by Aili Mari Tripp, University of Wisconsin-Madison Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal, one of Uganda’s longest-serving female legislators, passed away on 18 January 2024 at the age of 77. Ogwal was regarded as a trailblazer, one of the strongest, most charismatic women leaders in the opposition, and a staunch defender of multipartyism, democracy and human rights. Known for her toughness, she was unafraid to stand up to male leaders in the ruling party and even within her own party. Hence she came to be known as the “iron lady” in Uganda. Having studied gender and politics in Uganda for almost three decades, I followed her career as she became one of the strongest parliamentarians and a mentor to younger female politicians. She was a role model to them and stressed the importance of balancing work and family. Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni lauded her as a true patriot at a vigil held in her honour after she died. But her experiences as an opposition politician are emblematic of the challenges faced by political opponents of the regime in Uganda. She told Kampala’s The Observer newspaper in 2014 that she had survived 12 attempts on her...