This study investigated the role of local governments in safeguarding women's rights in Uganda, with reference to Malere Parish in Hoima District. Local governments, as the tier of government closest to communities, are well placed to protect and promote women's rights, yet their effectiveness in this role remains under-examined. The study investigated how awareness and sensitisation, legal protection and enforcement, support services provision, and economic empowerment relate to the safeguarding of women's rights. A cross-sectional survey design with a mixed- methods approach was adopted, and data were collected from 180 respondents comprising women community members, local government officials, and civil society and community leaders using structured questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and structural (path) analysis were used. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the local government role dimensions, which loaded onto coherent factors and explained 68.2% of the variance. The results revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between local government roles and the safeguarding of women's rights (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), with the dimensions jointly explaining 65.0% of the variance in the safeguarding of women's rights (R² = 0.650). Legal protection and enforcement (β = 0.32) and awareness and sensitisation (β = 0.30) emerged as the strongest path predictors. The study concludes that local governments play a significant role in safeguarding women's rights and recommends strengthening legal protection, awareness, and support services. This study addresses a sensitive topic in an academic manner, with attention to the dignity and safety of women.