Abstract
Women's empowerment and gender equality are pivotal in the refugee protection regime, and Uganda's refugee settlement approach has made significant strides. Since 2018, Uganda's approach has been hailed as the "global model" for upholding emergencies and locally integrated refugee programs, which have been incorporated into its national development plan. However, these goals are still underway. Implementing Uganda's refugee settlement approach without framing and considering gender mainstreaming for refugee protection, skills training in economic and decision-making participation risks adverse effects on the already vulnerable refugee population. This qualitative study investigated how Uganda's refugee settlement programs effectively integrate gender considerations to empower refugee women and promote gender equality through an intersectional lens. A thematic analysis was employed to analyze policy documents and semi-structured interviews (n = 55 from government, humanitarian organizations, civil society, and non-governmental organizations) to investigate how Uganda's refugee settlement programs effectively integrate gender considerations, and how these programs benefit refugees, especially women. The findings revealed that, despite unfavorable circumstances, Ugandan refugee settlement programming and implementation have made significant strides in promoting gender equality and empowering refugee women by mainstreaming gender content into refugee activities. The focus on providing women with leadership and skills training, access to livelihood, and educational programs is crucial for enabling them to gain economic dependence and freedom from a dominant patriarchal society as a pathway towards gender inclusiveness.