Women’s Multifaceted Citizenship: Identity, Belonging and Spaces of Participation in Rural Uganda

Abstract

This article analyses manifestations of women’s citizenship in diverse spaces of everyday participation in the rural districts of Kiboga and Namutumba in Uganda. Building on citizenship studies scholarship, we propose the notion of multifaceted citizenship, which ‘takes place’ in the same spaces of participation as processes of identity formation and belonging. Thus, our article also explores how identities and belonging manifest in spaces of participation. Drawing on content analysis of 50 qualitative interviews, we begin by investigating the spaces of participation that are experienced as meaningful by women. We then classify identities into five main categories: active resident, member, role model, leader, and wife. Finally, we identify two categories of belonging: personal and community belonging. In conclusion, we suggest that exploring citizenship through women’s own experiences in spaces of meaningful participation provides a fruitful approach to understanding the dynamics of gendered citizenship at the grassroots level.