Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Prepare payments of office and other bills as per laid down procedures of the organization.
2. Verify all invoices and requisitions and ensure that adequate supporting documents are in place before any payment is made.
3. Make payments as per requisitions
4. File all payments, accountabilities, and ensure that all paid documents are stamped.
5. Keep an updated stores Ledger.
6. Prepare monthly vehicle reports and monthly management reports.
7. Maintain an up to date assets register with all acquisitions and disposals
8. Any other duty as may be assigned by the Finance and Administration Manager from time to time.

Required Qualification and Experience

Applicants must have a minimum of a Degree in Business Administration majoring in Accounts.  Must be computer literate and conversant with MS Word, MS Excel and Accounting Packages, especially Pastel with a minimum of (3) years experience working with a busy Non Governmental Organization (NGOs)

Interested candidates should send their handwritten application and CV including three references with contact details and copies of academic and professional testimonials to:

The Executive Director,
Plot 198, Old Kira Road Ntinda
P. O. Box 27991,
KAMPALA

Please submit your handwritten application and CV including three references by close of business 2nd March 2012.

Introduction

These Terms of Reference are for the conducting a feasibility experiential learning to establish a description of an appropriate model for GBV shelters/ crisis centres as response mechanism to GBV within Busoga region with a view of using lessons learnt to advocate for the provision of better services on GBV.

Background

Gender-based violence is a major problem faced by women and yet getting out of an abusive or violent relationship is not easy. In Uganda, more than two thirds of ever married women (68%) have experienced any kind of gender based violence^[1] (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2006). The problem is worse for the rural women (61%) than urban women (54%). In response to the alarming incidences of gender based violence, the Government of Uganda (GoU) through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) in partnership with Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) and Centre for Domestic Violence and Prevention (CEDOVIP) and 8 local governments are implementing a Joint Programme to address Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the Busoga Sub-region focusing on 8 districts namely Bugiri, Buyende Jinja, Iganga, Kaliro, Kamuli, Mayuge, and Namutumba. The programme was launched in November 2010 and has effectively been implemented for 6 months. The focus on Busoga region was based on the fact that the region registered the highest incidence of sexual violence in the country as established by UBOS, (2006) in the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2006.  Arising from the gaps identified during implementation of year one, the GBV Joint programme partners noted the urgent need for a mechanism for assisting victims of GBV access immediate safe spaces that provide prevention intervention, emotional support, and treatment services to physically, emotionally and sexually abused women and girls. Through a needs assessment conducted by the GBV Joint Programme partners, an immediate comprehensive response mechanism is one way of redressing the apparent gap as they offer both healing and justice for survivors of violence.

Overview of UWONET

UWONET is an advocacy and lobbying Network currently comprised of 16 national women’s organisations and 10 individual members who collectively work together to amplify the women’s voice and enhance women’s empowerment.

Management and Monitoring and Evaluation arrangements

UWONET will take lead in organizing and coordinating the project. UWONET will implement under the overall supervision of the GBV Joint Programme Management Team headed by the Commissioner Gender in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development; Members of the management team (Executive officers of CEDOVIP and UWONET). The GBV Joint Programme Management Committee will oversee the monitoring of the process.

Outputs from the Management team.

-          Narrative and Financial progress reports provided by UWONET

-          Activity milestones developed.

The  main purpose of this assignment is to;

1. Establish a description of an appropriate model for shelters/crisis centres as response mechanism to GBV within Busoga region of Uganda.

The study will be conducted over a period of three months employing mainly qualitative methods of data collection. A Participatory methodology involving GBV JP and GBV Reference Group will be employed. Consultative and lesson learning meetings with sample agencies involved in the provision of GBV shelters/ crisis centres will also be held. In addition, a review secondary data will be undertaken including review of policy, legal and programme documents as well as experiential learning visits to a few selected countries that have run successfully shelters/crisis centres as response mechanisms to GBV.

Objectives

• To assess the accessibility, availability, acceptability and sustainability of shelters/crisis centres as response mechanism to GBV at national and regional levels.

• To use the information generated to inform national policy programming and utilize findings to recommend an appropriate form of shelter or crisis centre to be adopted by the GBV JP partners in Busoga region.

The resource person will work closely with UWONET secretariat and GOU-IRISH AID JP partners to ensure quality and timeliness on the process.

Scope of work

• Consensus building on concepts, Inception phase Preparatory activities:

These will include production of the work plan report, and setting up the resource team, development of the study instruments, and pre-testing of the study tools.

• Data collection:

UWONET who will be responsible for the data collection will work closely with the resource person to generate primary and secondary data collection, compilation and analysis of secondary data, interviews with key informants   and focus group\ discussions.

• Lesson learning and consultative meetings with Service Providers:-

The JP partners under the leadership of the resource person will undertake learning meetings in two countries; (Uganda and South Africa).  It is important that a comparison with similar countries in the region is made and so one country that is known to be running shelters will be selected for this purpose;

While in Uganda, visits will be made to;

• MIFUMI GBV support centre- Tororo district
• Action Aid women Centre – Nebbi and Mubende
• Catholic Women Guild – Nsambya Kampala
• Hope after Rape –

While in South Africa, the team will visit two towns; i.e Cape town and Johannesburg. Three sites will be visited run by NGO’s and Government. The visits will be made to;

• Cape Town, People Opposing Women Abuse and NISAA
•   Khaya Lethemba

Deliverables

The resource person will develop;

1. An inception report outlining tasks to be undertaken, schedule of activities and methodology to be adopted as well as proposed budget.
2. A presentation of the major findings to the GBV Reference Group, GBV JP Representatives and other GBV partners through consultative dialogue and consensus building meetings in Busoga and at national level.
3. Guidelines for the Government of Uganda on an appropriate model for GBV shelters/ crisis centres as response mechanism to GBV.
4. Recommendations to facilitate evidence based programming and establishment of Busoga region GBV Shelter to supported GBV JP Partners.
5. Policy briefs for GBV Joint Programme Partners targeting Government of Uganda and other GBV national stakeholders for advocacy purposes.
6. A final experimental learning report  in both hard and soft copies submitted to the Coordinator of the GBV JP

Reporting

The resource person will during the course of this assignment report to the Executive Director UWONET and the GBV Joint partners aware of the management and monitoring and evaluation arrangements.

Time Frame

The study will be conducted over a period of three months employing mainly qualitative methods of data collection. A Participatory methodology involving GBV JP and GBV Reference Group will be employed. Consultative and lesson learning meetings with sample agencies involved in the provision of GBV shelters/ crisis centres will also be held.

Mode of payment

The consultant will be paid 60% of the agreed upon sum as stipulated on signing of the contract and 40% on completion of the assignment.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Support and assist in day to day running of programmes
2. Daily indexing of SGBV cases in the printing media
3. Attending meetings and conferences on behalf of the organisation
4. Proposal and concept note development
5.  Writing and analysis of field and project reports.
6. Support the management of the UWONET Resource center

Experience, skills & competencies

No experience is required for this position.

Educational requirements

• Candidates must at least a Bachelors Degree  from a recognised university
• Must be able to communicate fluently in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrate interest in the advancement of women in any sphere of development.
• Must ably demonstrate how they will apply their skills to the advancement of women’s rights.
•  Should have some workable knowledge of IT.
• Be willing to  work as a team

Interested individuals should send their applications, including their curriculum vitae and copies of academic documents to:

The Executive Director

Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET)

Plot 198 Old Kira Road Ntinda

P.O.Box 2799, Kampala Uganda

Or on email to info@uwonet.or.ug

Applications should be sent by close of business on 16^th February 2012

N:B Both male and Female  candidates are encouraged to apply

Its establishment was based on the recognition that political instability and conflicts in these countries have a considerable regional dimension and thus require a concerted effort in order to promote sustainable peace and development. Most notable among the conflicts that have had cross-border impacts or origins are the 1994 Rwandan genocide that led to the loss of more than 800,000 lives, and the political instability in DRC. These conflicts constituted a major threat to international peace and security.

Its responsibility is to coordinate, facilitate, monitor and thereby ensure the implementation of the Pact in order to attain peace, security, political stability and development in the Great Lakes Region. The main divisions of ICGLR are: Peace and Security, Democracy and Good Governance, Economic Development and Regional Integration and Humanitarian and Social Issues. In addition, the Conference addresses Cross-cutting Issues such as Gender, Environment, Human Rights, HIV/AIDS and Human Settlements.

In December 2010, at the request of the ICGLR Regional Women’s Forum, Heads of State agreed to dedicate a special session on the problem of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in their next convened summit. Preparations are under way for this summit scheduled to take place in Kampala, Uganda from 11th to 16th December 2011. One day of the Summit will be specifically devoted to a Special Session on SGBV under the theme: “United to Prevent, End Impunity and Provide Support to the Victims of SGBV in the Great Lakes Region.”

In preparation for the Special Session, national, regional and international human rights organizations based in Kenya and Uganda have spearheaded a regional process to mobilize civil society organizations in the Great Lakes region to participate in deliberations leading up to the Summit.  The CSO Coordination Committee for the ICGLR Special Session on SGBV constitutes: ACORD, ActionAid, Action for Development (ACFODE), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), Akina Mama Wa Afrika (AMWA), CARE, CCPAU, East African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), Isis-Women’s International Cross-Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE), National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU), Regional Associates for Community Initiatives (RACI), and Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET).

The CSO Engagement is aimed at promoting clear and consistent messaging on SGBV experiences and demands to Heads of State for immediate commitment and tangible action, empowering local and national women’s rights groups in the region to speak for themselves and ensure their voices are heard at high level decision making platforms and ensuring Regional decision making structures take  into consideration the human rights of women and children in their agreements which reinforce national commitments to women’s and children’s rights, in line with international and regional treaties and agreements.

The ICGLR therefore is a good opportunity for our leaders to provide a lasting solution to the problem of SGBV. Consequently, as Women Civil Society in the Region, we strongly urge the Heads of State of ICGLR to be at the front line of the fight against Sexual Gender Based Violence, and to:

1. Declare Zero Tolerance Now on SGBV crimes and impunity
2. Allocate specific and adequate funding for SGBV prevention programmes within a Gender Responsive Budgeting Framework
3. Institutionalize early warning and response to SGBV, in collaboration with the security community policing in the prevention service sector
4. Establish an independent Regional Impunity Monitoring Unit by the next Summit of the Heads of State, to thereafter report on progress annually to the ICGLR Ordinary Summit of Heads of State
5. Establish national Reparation Funds for survivors of SGBV by the next ICGLR Ordinary Summit of Heads of State.
6. Adopt a comprehensive SGBV performance framework (in the form of an Index or Barometer) with clear standards and targets, with opportunity for civil society to present shadow or parallel reports.

For more information please follow these links;

http://eacsof.net/upload/Concept%20Note%20for%20CSO%20participation%20in%20ICGLR%20Special%20Session%20on%20SGBV%20-%202011.pdf

https://icglr.org/spip.php?article170

Against this background the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) an indigenous umbrella Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) of PWDs organized a meeting at Hotel Africana with the aim of influencing policy makers to address maternal health needs of WWDs. NUDIPU is advocating for Maternal New born Child Health (MNCH) and HIV integration into programmes and projects with the goal of reducing HIV related mortality and improvement of health outcomes for HIV positive mothers with disabilities at district and national level. MNCH programmes focus on improving the quality and availability of all maternal, newborn and child health services such as; antenatal and postnatal care, safer deliveries, care for newborn and young children, improved nutrition, routine immunization and effective Primary Health Care.

To a great extent, WWDs have been denied information and services about MNCH, sexual reproductive health and HIV/AIDS because most of the time the attitude of the health workers is negative towards them and they do not attend to them. Furthermore they have often been denied the right to establish meaningful sexual relationships and to decide whether, when and with whom to have a family. Many have been subjected to abandonment, forced abortions or forced marriages. WWDs are more likely to experience physical, emotional and sexual abuse and other forms for gender based violence. They are also more likely to become infected with HIV and other STIs.

WWDs suffer injustices and discrimination for instance the modes of transport don’t favor them, wheelchair users are almost completely excluded from most public transport.  Also the design of buses and taxis present major obstacles to their use by WWDs such as; lack of sufficient grab rails at entrances and narrow aisles and seat spacing, hindering maneuvering inside vehicles. Cost issues appear to be one of the most important barriers to greater mobility, both in terms of accessing and maintaining mobility devices, and in terms of affording to travel by public transport. WWDs also find difficulty accessing the health centre facilities since they cannot climb stairs with wheelchairs, therefore, they are limited in accessing maternal care.

Medical practitioners sometimes treat WWDs as objects of treatment rather than rights holders and do not always seek their free and informal consent when it comes to treatment. Poor hygiene in public places for example in hospital has left women especially WWDs susceptible to several infections which end up affecting their health more. Lack of education is yet another root cause that has continued to compound the issue of maternal and child mortality.

The government of Uganda is urged to address maternal health challenges affecting WWDs through; providing access to health care on an equal basis and putting into consideration WWDs through equipping labor wards with adjustable beds, sign language interpreters in health centers at all levels and maintain proper sanitation. The government is also urged to provide health services and centers as close as possible to communities, including rural areas and provide motivated medical personnel in those centers. Also health caravans that can take services close to the community where WWDs are living should be put up.

WWDs need to be informed and have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice and the right of access to appropriate health care services that will enable them to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth.

In conclusion, the main rights holders in Uganda for maternal health and child health are the women, girls and the children, with poor women including WWDs being the most affected by poor maternal health care. The rights holders are lacking empowerment to claim their right to quality maternal health services. They also lack knowledge on good maternal health practices and on their rights to be protected from harmful practices. There is concrete need for laying the foundation for disability needs and access to quality MNCH, sexual reproductive health and HIV prevention services.

Source; Presentations:

“Overview of MNCH, SRH, HIV/AIDS needs of PWDs” Penninah Mugume

“Maternal Health as a Human Rights issue in relation to WWDs” Nakibuuka Noor Musisi

1. Poverty and inequality
2. Women and girls
3. Young people
4. Reproductive health and rights
5. Environment
6. Babies and the aging
7. Urbanization

Raising awareness about the population mark and what it means to live in a world with so many people is a way of highlighting the challenges, opportunities and actions that will shape the world’s future.  As more and more people join those of us already here, new challenges will arise, however, as individuals we play a key role in creating a sustainable world characterized by balance and peace for all. Reducing inequalities and finding ways to ensure well-being of people alive today will require new ways of thinking and unprecedented global cooperation.

Women and girls: Empowerment and progress

Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) is an advocacy and lobbying network of national women’s NGO’s and individuals, operating in Uganda. It envisions ‘A Ugandan society free of all forms of gender based discrimination’. UWONET believes that the existing gender inequality and poverty impacts more on women.

Millions of girls and women could help us build a healthier future if we let them. It is a tragedy that women are not full partners now in the Ugandan economy. This lack of economic empowerment means women are less likely to have access to basic health care, financial capital, land and business ownership and education.

The economic cost of neglecting women taxes all of us. In Uganda, 16 women die unnecessarily every day from pregnancy and child birth. Satisfying the unmet need for family planning and maternal care would slow population growth and reduce strain on scarce natural and financial resources. Healthy mothers are also better able to contribute to their children’s health and education and to household resources.

With a renewed pledge by UN member states to promote gender equality as part of the MDGs, stressing that investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth. The why of investing in women is self-evident; we need the HOW. We are all in this together and are counting on each other. Working together, incremental actions will create exponential results.

Please share your ideas, stories, projects so we can create a stronger world for all our children. Please email to info@uwonet.or.ug / uwonet1@gmail.com / 33millionactions@unfpa.or.ug or post on www.7billionactions.org

The Government of Uganda is tackling the various forms of gender inequalities including Gender Based Violence (GBV) through GBV prevention and response strategies which have been integrated in the main development frameworks of government.

A 5 year joint programme to address GBV in eight districts of Bugiri, Buyende, Jinja, Iganga, Kaliro, Kamuli, Mayuge and Namutumba in the Busoga region, is being implemented. This is a collaborative effort between Ministry of Gender, Labour and social Development, District Local Governments, Civil Society organizations such as Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) and Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET). Under this programme interventions by UWONET include:

A GBV Capacity needs assessment for Police, Health Center IV, health workers, probations officers, Community Development Officers’s and LC2 courts has been carried out. The aim of this is to determine their level of knowledge and skills in handling GBV concerns in Busoga. At individual level, assessment was made to determine the stakeholder’s knowledge levels on gender, attitudes, motivation and understanding of their roles in relation to human security issues, the national policy and legal framework on GBV. At collective and systemic level, assessment was made of the functionality of the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) and Health system at Sub County, parish and district level.

The assessment also focused on technical capacity, systems responsiveness, and timelyness and referral systems. Some of the findings show that there is need to include local councilors as duty bearers because they are one of the first focal points on GBV cases in the communities and are closer to the communities.

The mapping out of key stakeholders to establish a GBV Referral Pathway for Busoga region was carried out. The report will establish the best actions and aspects of determining where to refer a case and what needs to be done for survivors at each point of the referral path.UWONET will then develop a simplified poster with an approved GBV referral pathway. The simplified poster detailing the referral pathway was developed as a means of facilitating follow up and holding duty bearers accountable.

UWONET will develop a stakeholder’s capacity needs strategy to direct the capacity building component. This will involve analyzing the needs assessment report and developing a stakeholder’s needs strategy to address the gaps identified and suggest practical interventions and topics for the forth coming trainings.

UWONET will also review existing training manuals to establish their relevance to the current programme in terms of needs, levels of education and context of training. Capacity gaps identified in the needs assessment will also inform part of the training manuals. A training manual will be developed, pre- tested by various stakeholders and will be used to undertake the trainings of the duty bearers.

UWONET is developing a handbook for duty bearers on handling GBV cases and survivors. The handbook will be informed by the knowledge, gaps identified, the capacity needed to prevent and mitigate the effects of GBV, and the referral pathway. The handbook will be a sustainability mechanism which the duty bearers will refer to after the GBV trainings.

In conclusion, UWONET realize that most stakeholders were not aware of the new GBV laws passed such as the Domestic Violence Act.UWONET will therefore conduct trainings on new GBV legislations passed and other skills in the second year of project implementation.

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE STATEMENT HERE

About 30% of Ugandans live below 1 dollar a day, of these over 7million (20% of households) live in chronic poverty and majority are women (CPRC, 2005).

The current worsening inflation (current inflation rate is 11.1% by Mar 2011, rising from 6.4% in 2010; Bank of Uganda), rising costs of living and a brunt of suffering of many Ugandans affecting more women and children.

Today, over 6,000 women die every year (16 die daily) from preventable pregnancy related causes and for every woman who dies six survive with chronic and debilitating ill health.

The Uganda Demographic Health Survey (2006), estimates that a total of 200,000 women in the country suffer from obstetric fistula. According however according to Engender Health-an NGO working on fistula care and treatment, the problem is endemic and the total numbers of fistula survivors are far higher than what is documented. This is because fistula statistics are obtained from health facilities yet so many women with fistula suffer in silence due to lack of understanding of the condition and social stigma and hence rarely seek medical attention.

In addition, two thirds of pupils who enroll in primary one are unlikely to complete primary seven (UNHS, 2006). Retention and completion rates especially for the girl-child are too low making the country far from achieving the MDGs.

Many other socio-economic challenges still persistent such as high unemployment affecting more women than men; volatile climatic changes associated with hunger and malnutrition; gender based violence; trauma; distress; raising mental health problems; increasing HIV infection and declining access to ARVs and high deaths resulting from preventable diseases like malaria among others.

Despite the enormous social economic development concerns, there seems to be lack of government prioritization that takes into consideration the needs of its citizens. As we have condemned in the past the misuse and avoidable loss of billions of tax payers money in several scams like the National Social Security Fund/Temangalo scam; the CHOGM scandal; unfounded election-timed payments  to Members of Parliament among others, we raise our voices again as women of Uganda and mothers of this nation to urge government as it considers the 1.7 trillion shillings purchase of fighter jets for long term investment including 3 billion shillings budget for the president’s swearing-in ceremony, to prioritise the issues raised above that will meet the practical needs of its people.

With the 1.7 trillion Ugandan shillings, the government of Uganda would go a long way in addressing many urgent and pressing needs of the people and changing the status quo. It would for instance:

• Meet treatment and care costs of 1,770,833 women with fistula considering an estimated treatment and care cost (less costs of a surgeon) of 400 USD (about 960,000 shilling) according to Engender Health
• Construct and fully equip 29,116 health centre IIs at an estimated construction cost of 58,387,200/= (24,328USD) according to the Health Sector Strategic Plan-HSSP 2000/01-2004/05
• Pay an annual salary for 236,111 doctors (fresh graduates) as per the current initial government scale of 600,000/= per month (7,200,000/= annually)
• Pay an annual salary for 472,222 teachers as per the current government scale of 300,000/= per month (3,600,000/= annually).
• Sponsor 404,762 students for university education-three-year courses paying averagely tuition fees worth 700,000/= per semester (1.4 million annually and 4.2 million for the three years)
• Meet extra primary schooling costs in a government aided school for 12,142,857 pupils for seven years at an estimated annual median cost of 20,000/= . According to the Uganda National Household Survey 2005/06 even with universal primary education-UPE in place, there are other extra schooling costs associated with school and registration fees; uniform and sports clothes; books and supplies. More important to note 40% of the school drop-outs are attributable to such costs.
• Feed universal primary schools for 6,540 years at estimated annual cost of 259,920,000 Uganda shillings. Going by the World Food Programme experience in implementing the School Feeding Program in Northern Uganda, the unit cost of feeding 1 child is 0.19 US Cents per day (two meals i.e. porridge and lunch). The total number of school feeding days in a year amounts to 180 days and the total UPE enrolment as per the UNHS 2005/06 is 7.6million pupils. Therefore the total annual cost of a national school feeding programme would be: 0.19USD cents x 7,600,000 pupils X 180 days= 259,920,000 Uganda shillings.
• Many other socio-economic concerns including: drug stocks in national health facilities; increasing access to ARVs; access to clean and safe water; access to credit for the poor among other social protection measures that this country desires to improve the lives of the chronically poor.
• Fully fund budgets of crucial government institutions and machineries-which are currently more resource constrained to effectively deliver their mandates. These include among others: the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD); the Police; Judiciary and Prisons Services among others

We therefore call upon our government to rethink and reconsider the government expenditure planning and priorities to those that address the urgent and pressing needs of millions of Ugandans particularly women who die every day due to delayed medical intervention; suffer the brunt of abject poverty in this country; high school drop outs due to increasing costs of education; die of hunger due to the increasing food and fuel prices as well as volatile climatic changes with very minimal government support and protection.

The Women Democracy Group (WDG) comprised of civil society organisations such as Action for Development, Centre for Women in Governance, Forum for Women in Democracy coordinated by Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) embarked on  training  of  prospective  women  candidates  which  has  largely  contributed  to  the  increase of  women in  politics  and  decision  making. A candidates training manual was developed which was used during the trainings. This was undertaken with support from Deepening Democracy Programme / DANIDA and DCA (Dan Church Aid).

There was also an increase in the number of women vying for the different political positions at local council levels in the different districts in the country. Amidst the difficult economic, social, cultural and political terrain that continue to hinder women’s effective participation in politics and decision making, most women emerged winners of the different political or leadership positions in their respective counties.

The trainings were undertaken in over 60 selected districts across Uganda in central, western, northern and eastern regions. Out of the 2500 women candidates trained, 2214 were nominated to represent their political parties and 1546 women won the different political positions in the different districts. The training focused on public speaking and presentation skills, running successful campaigns, winning elections, fundraising, women and political parties, and what to do on polling day and after polling day among others.

On behalf of the Women Democracy Group, UWONET would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the women who made it to Parliament and local council positions across the country. To the women who did not make it, elevating to higher leadership positions in society is a process that starts before and also goes beyond the election time. More importantly leadership can be taken on in both formal and informal processes. So do not give up seize every opportunity around you.