LocationsDigital Public Infrastructure: A New Frontier for Women’s Empowerment in Uganda
March 27, 2026
AI generated image of women obtaining digital Identification.
In today’s interconnected world, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become far more than a technological upgrade. It’s a powerful enabler of equity, dignity, and opportunity especially for women and girls who have historically been left behind. But what are DPIs? According to UNDP, just as roads and railways connect people to jobs, services and opportunities, digital infrastructure enables access to the essential systems that shape daily life. DPIs are digital systems that form the backbone of modern societies. They enable secure and seamless interactions between people, businesses and governments. As the world modernizes, technology is advancing and accelerating at a greater scale. As this is happening there is need for safeguards that ensure that digital transformation, is not discriminatory. Foundational systems like digital identification (Digital IDs), interoperable payment platforms, and data-sharing frameworks, when designed inclusively can transform access to justice, health, education and financial services. Especially for women and girls.
Digital Identity: The First Step Toward Visibility and Access
Legal identity is a fundamental human right, yet many women especially those in rural communities still encounter barriers to accessing essential services due to missing or lost documentation. The Uganda’s national digital ID system is changing this reality. According to a recent national study, 94.1% of adults [DM1] in Uganda sought to register for the National digital ID, and nearly 79% currently possess one, underscoring strong demand for identity-backed access to services.
This matter is not only profoundly about identification especially for women. It is also about enhancing actions geared to improving access to government services. With a digital ID, a woman can reliably access reproductive health care, HIV treatment, antenatal services, social protection programs, and education opportunities without fear of losing records or facing repeated administrative hurdles. Strengthened health outcomes are already visible: Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio dropped from 336 deaths (2016) to 189 per 100,000 live births in 2022, while neonatal mortality fell from 27 to 22 deaths per 1,000 live births. Digital identity systems can further accelerate progress by enabling accurate beneficiary targeting, enhancing efficiency in services provision and improving continuity of care.
Digital Finance: Opening the Door to Economic Autonomy
AI generated image showcasing women transacting using mobile money services
Financial inclusion is a cornerstone of women’s economic empowerment. Uganda is a regional leader, with 81% overall financial inclusion in 2023, driven largely by mobile money adoption. Mobile money has become an essential tool, supporting remittances, savings, and in enabling small business transactions. By 2021, the value of mobile-money transactions in Uganda had reached close to 94% of GDP, illustrating the scale of digital financial activity.
Yet challenges remain. When mobile money usage is excluded, only 34% of women hold an account with a formal financial institution. This means that there remain limitations to accessing credit, insurance, and growth capital for women-led businesses. DPI presents an opportunity for initiatives such as those that seek to integrate Savings and Credit Cooperative Associations (SACCO) and Village Savings and Loans Associations’ (VSLA) loan histories into national credit bureaus. Doing so is vital, as it opens the opportunity for millions of responsible female borrowers to be visible in the formal lending ecosystem. Access to sustainable sources of credit means unlimited opportunities for women and girls in business, trade, education and services.
Digital Safety and Justice: A Lifeline for Survivors of Violence
A photo of Lady Justice Jacqueline Mwondha, Deputy Head of the Mukono High Court Circuit, presiding over a court case using digital court systems, which are part of UNDP’s support to the judiciary.
Digital justice is breaking access to justice barriers. Whether pertaining to cost of accessing justice, geographical challenges of distance and privacy during certain matters. Digital platforms present to women and girls an option to have complex cases discreetly heard. Life-saving pathways for women experiencing the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV). Uganda’s National GBV Database has reached over 1 million individuals and assisted more than 500,000 cases, expanding avenues for reporting and survivor support. Yet, much more can be done as the need remains urgent: 55.5% of women (15–59) have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Strengthening digital reporting systems while ensuring privacy and data protection, enhancing interconnectivity amongst all court users breaks down the barriers to justice and safety.
Building DPI That Works means Justice, Rights and Action for Women and Girls
A photo of women displaying the key words for the women's day theme - Rights, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls.
For DPI to empower women and girls, it must be intentionally inclusive. This includes expanding rural connectivity through internet penetration. This expansion taken hand in hand with improving digital literacy, enforcing strong data protection systems, and designing user‑friendly systems aligned with community needs lies at the heart of expanding opportunities for women and girls.
When thoughtfully implemented, DPI becomes more than infrastructure; it becomes a pathway to justice, health, economic power, and dignity. As Uganda stands at the cusp of a digital transformation, we have a powerful opportunity and an equally powerful responsibility. DPI can either widen the gap or close it. It can either amplify inequalities or dismantle them. The choices we make today will determine whether millions of Ugandan women and girls’ step into a future shaped by autonomy, safety, and possibility.
This international women’s month, it is also about re-committing to building digital public infrastructure that does more than connect devices; it must connect women and girls to opportunity, protection, and power. Because when women thrive, Uganda thrives. And when Uganda commits to inclusive digital transformation, every woman and girl has a fair shot at shaping her own future.
By Berna Mugema-Team Leader Inclusive Growth and Innovation