As Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day, on March 8, women have been encouraged to challenge limiting beliefs, pursue opportunities beyond traditional roles and confidently take up spaces in society and the workplace.
Roseline Kironzo, the Marketing Manager at Lapaire Africa, said empowerment among women begins with sharing knowledge, opportunities and experiences that can help others grow.
“Giving does not necessarily mean material things,” Kironzo said. “If you give advice to someone starting out, if you share knowledge or even an opportunity, it can mean a lot to someone else.”
Kironzo explained that empowerment thrives when women intentionally uplift others rather than compete with them.
She referenced a concept widely used in the medical field to describe how knowledge should be passed on.
“There is a concept called ‘See one, do one, teach one.’ You observe something, you learn how it is done, and then you teach it to someone else,” she said. “That is how growth happens in communities and professions.”
Kironzo made the remarks during an engagement organised by Lapaire Uganda at its Ntinda offices in Kampala as the country joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The event brought together professionals from the legal fraternity, media, health sector and corporate world to discuss women empowerment, leadership and access to healthcare.
Lorraine Aguti, a lawyer and policy analyst, said women should not allow societal expectations to dictate what they can or cannot achieve. 
“I think as women, there is a need for us to embrace our nature as women,” Aguti said. “There is what society thinks women should be, but in my perspective, a woman can be anything.”
Aguti noted that many women are discouraged from pursuing ambitions that appear unconventional.
“You’ll even find fellow women saying, ‘That’s for men. How will you get married with that rough tendency? You’re too ambitious,’” she said. “But it’s okay for a woman to want to be the next biggest robotics engineer or create something the world has never seen.”
She added that when women are empowered, entire communities benefit.
“When you empower a woman, you empower everything around her and every generation that comes after her,” Aguti said.
Mark Muoki, the Human Resource Manager for Lapaire East Africa, encouraged women to apply for opportunities even when they feel they do not meet every requirement.
“Don’t wait until you fulfill 100 percent of the criteria needed for the role. Just give it a shot,” Muoki said.
He explained that many women hold back because they feel they do not fully belong in certain professional spaces.
“The patriarchy has made women feel like they are not supposed to be in certain conversations or positions,” he said. “Even if you feel like out of five criteria you only meet one, go for it.”
Muoki added that organisations should intentionally create opportunities that allow women to thrive in leadership and decision-making roles. 
Lyne Atwiine from Satisfashion Uganda also encouraged women to challenge internal doubts that may limit their ambitions.
“Sometimes we internalize the narrative that men are more capable of doing certain things,” she said. “Yet as a woman you have your own skill set and training.”
She noted that women often play significant roles in different sectors, even though their contributions are not always visible.
“Most of the time you don’t see the active hand that women are playing in many spaces. It’s often called invisible labour,” Atwiine said.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of health awareness, particularly eye health among women and children.
Lynette, an eye specialist at Lapaire, said clear vision plays a major role in improving people’s quality of life.
“At Lapaire we always talk about the clear side and how it changes everything. Our work is to help people see clearer,” she said.
“But vision is not only about eyesight, it is also about the perspective you bring into how you approach life’s challenges and opportunities.”
She encouraged women to believe in their abilities and pursue opportunities even when they feel uncertain.
“Maybe you have been thinking, ‘I’m not capable of doing this.’ But allow yourself to think, ‘What if I can?’ Because you can,” she said.
Lynette also urged mothers to pay attention to signs that could indicate vision problems among children.
“We are the first doctors to our children,” she said. “If you notice itchy eyes, tearing, difficulty seeing far or frequent headaches while reading, it’s important to seek medical attention.”
According to Lapaire, Uganda still faces a significant number of cases of avoidable blindness.
“We have close to 25,000 people in the country with what we call curable blindness,” Lynette said. “These are cases that can be corrected through surgery or glasses.”
Participants at the engagement agreed that mentorship, knowledge sharing and confidence are essential in ensuring that more women break barriers and take up space in professional fields traditionally dominated by men.