Prof. Moses Muhwezi (Purple Tie, Second row) together with various climate change partners at the 4th Women in Climate Change
The Women in Climate Change Conference (WiCCA2025), hosted by Makerere University Business School (MUBS), began with a dynamic Doctoral Symposium on July 23, 2025.
During the Symposium, Doctoral Students presented ground breaking research in the field of green energy, spotlighting innovative solutions that laid a strong foundation for the two-day conference focused on women’s leadership in climate action.
The main conference, held on July 24, brought together climate champions, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and development partners from Uganda and beyond. This year’s theme, “Women Leading
As academia, it is our responsibility to equip the youth with knowledge on environmental values and the consequences of environmental degradation, empowering them to drive sustainable change,”
Climate Action: From Local Solutions to Global Policy and Innovation,” underscored the critical role women play in driving sustainable solutions at all levels of society.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Moses Muhwezi, Principal of MUBS, highlighted academia’s crucial role in equipping young people with environmental knowledge and values. “As Makerere University Business School, we are honored to host this pivotal event addressing climate issues. As academia, it is our responsibility to equip the youth with knowledge on environmental values and the consequences of environmental degradation, empowering them to drive sustainable change,” he said.
Mrs. Margaret Mwebesa, Commissioner at the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Water, emphasized the conference’s role in elevating women’s visibility and leadership in climate discussions.
“The Women in Climate Change Conference remains a vital catalyst for women’s visibility in the climate arena, bridging community-driven innovation with national policy discussions, while fostering intergenerational mentorship,” she stated.
Women-led initiatives from across Uganda demonstrated how grassroots entrepreneurship, resilience, and innovation effectively address climate challenges. One standout example is Kimuli Collection, which employs women with disabilities to produce sustainable fashion from banana fiber, blending environmental sustainability with social empowerment.
The Country Representative GGGI Uganda, Angola and Zambia- Eng. Dr. Pablo Martinez, said women play big roles in different sectors that affect climate change, women have more diversity.
He also said it is important to recognize women in climate change and encouraged the people to walk the road and know the different impacts women and men play.
Eng. Dr. Martinez stressed out that the work being done in the climate action should respond to the real needs of the beneficiaries.
“Such conferences provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge ideas, accelerating progress towards sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation and fostering networks and partnerships”.
The commitment of GGGI is to continue to visibilize the importance of having a gender lens and it is reflected in the work done.
Mr. Philippe Roussel, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in Uganda, reaffirmed Germany’s dedication to supporting women in climate action. “Germany is committed to gender-responsive climate solutions, as reflected in our support for clean cooking, sustainable agriculture, and women-led enterprises through GIZ programs,” he said.
WiCCA2025 provided a vibrant platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and empowerment, reinforcing that women’s voices and leadership are essential to effective climate
Ms. Irene Benham Namutebi noted that while climate change affects everyone, it does not affect everyone equally, women and children (grass-root) experience the greatest impacts, therefore women and children should be allowed to actively participate in climate action and decision making to enable them contribute towards the solutions that can revolutionize our approach to tackling climate change.
She also highlighted that such conferences provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge ideas, accelerating progress towards sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation and fostering networks and partnerships.
The conference was supported by the German Development Agency (GIZ), the Ministry of Water and Environment, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Makerere University Business School, National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP). These partnerships reflect a shared commitment to gender-responsive climate action and inclusive green growth.
Some of the participants at the 4th Women in Climate change conference at Makerere University Business school
