Introduction.
The Equal Opportunities Commission is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to effectuate Article 32(3) and Article 32 (4) of the Constitution of Uganda. The Equal Opportunities Commission is mandated to eliminate discrimination and inequalities against any individual or group of persons on the ground of sex, age, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, health status, social or economic standing, political opinion or disability, and take affirmative action in favor of groups marginalised on the basis of gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom for the purpose of redressing imbalances which exist against them, and to provide for other related matters.
Articles 32(3) and 32(4) of the 1995 Uganda Constitution provide as follows:
Article 32(3): Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the State shall take affirmative action in favour of groups marginalised on the basis of gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom, for the purpose of redressing imbalances which exist against them.
Article 32(4): Parliament shall make relevant laws, including laws for the establishment of an Equal Opportunities Commission, for the purpose of giving full effect to clause (1) of this article.
In compliance with the aforesaid constitutional provisions, the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda enacted the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, 2007.
On July 6th 2010, the then Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon. Gabriel Opio presented four members for swearing in and they took their oaths before the then Principal Judge His Lordship James Ogoola. The Equal Opportunities Commission was inaugurated on 8th July 2010.