Master Thesis Presentation: Carol Nyangoma Mukisa

Examining women’s experiences in the process of accessing and utilizing national identification documents in labour migration: A case of women labour migrants in Uganda

What is your research question and where and how did you go about doing your research?

The research explores women’s experiences, particularly that of women labour migrants, in accessing national identification documents such as passports and national ID cards in Uganda. Holding an ID is not only a means of accessing state-provided social services, but also a question of identity and citizenship. For women and girls, the possession of an ID card is liberating, providing a means of claiming one’s rights as a citizen, and acting as a tool for agency, empowerment, and freedom of movement. The study focuses on three key processes: application, acquisition, and usage of the ID cards from a women’s perspective. The study was carried out in Kampala District in central Uganda where the central processing centre for national identification documents is located. I investigated the case through qualitative research methods including in-depth key informant interviews and participant observation.  

What were your key findings and why do they matter?

The key findings are focused on the multiple reasons why women register for national IDs, namely: the need to access social services, the official compulsory requirement to have an ID, how it confers citizenship to individuals, and in my specific case study, the need to travel to the Middle East for work. The experiences of women labour migrants within this process

included particular practices, many of which are gendered, that make their relationships to IDs complicated. In terms of accessing IDs, these practices include: using a false identity in ID processing, negative labelling of women labour migrants as Kadamas (a term for female labour migrants as used in the Middle East), sexual harassment during ID processing, illiteracy among the prospective women migrants, corruption in the registration processes, and finally giving special attention to women and children as they process their IDs. However, in addition to challenging aspects in accessing IDs, the major challenge faced by women labour migrants in using the IDs was the withholding and confiscation of their national IDs and passports.

The findings expand feminist theorization by looking at women's lived realities in relation to IDs and the associated legal rights, and exposing social and cultural barriers that strip women of their sense of personhood. This points to the need for a more gender-aware, inclusive approach to ID enrolment that caters to all persons in a society.

Why is your research relevant for the broader discussion on IDs and citizenship in Africa?

The study provides evidence that ‘womanhood’ is not a generic concept. Women are demographically different and face diverse challenges. Due to the foundational role of a national ID in ensuring women’s access to rights and services, the study can be used to fill the policy gaps that emerge when considering key gender dimensions in the national ID system. It is important to highlight challenges and recommendations that will improve women’s overall access and use of national identification documents, which are an enabling factor for achieving many SDGs associated with Goal 16.9, ‘legal identity for all’.

Read the full thesis at the repository of Makerere University or contact the author via cnyangoma.22@gmail.com.

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