Patrick Mwesigye

Founder and Executive Director of the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF)

Patrick is Founder and Executive Director of the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF)

Tell us briefly why you are passionate about being involved with SheDecides?


1. Tell us briefly why you are passionate about being involved with SheDecides?

Coming from a society that has normalised violence against women and girls and taken hostage of women’s reproductive health, rights and lives, for me She Decides is a perfect movement to be part of, because of my belief, my values and passion to empower and support adolescent girls and young women to live quality lives with equity, dignity and opportunities to realise their full potential.

2. Describe how you are working so women and girls can make decisions themselves about their bodies.

I have dedicated my last 7 years to empower and supporting adolescent girls and young women to have a voice, have choice and control over their own bodies, their health and their life.

Together with my organization Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum, we work every single day to promote quality health and well-being for adolescent girls and young women. We enhance their knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and maternal and child health and build their capacity to demand for quality services. We create platforms that amplify their voices and facilitate their meaningful participation with policy and decision makers to influence policy processes and shape programs that are geared towards improving their health and well-beings. Additionally, Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum also provides direct SRHR, MNCH and SGBV psycho-social support services to vulnerable adolescent girls and young women from underserved communities of Bugisu and Teso and Bukedi sub regions.

3. Tell us a story of a moment that drives you to do what you do every day.

Seeing many adolescent girls and young women come to UYAHF Adolescent Health Clinic to seek sexual reproductive health services because of our youth friendly and human rights-based serves approach and confidence they have built in us drives me to keep on keeping on.

4. Why is it so important we get to a future where SheDecides, without question? How are we going to get there?

We need to get to the future where She Decides without question, so that women and girls can freely chose when to have a child and with who.