What vision 2050 means for women

AS Tanzania embarks on the journey to implement Vision 2050, women are being called to the centre not just as participants, but as powerful agents of change.

The newly launched national roadmap places women and youth at the heart of Tanzania’s future, recognizing them as key to unlocking the country’s full potential. With their energy, creativity, and resilience, these groups are now seen as the driving force behind the country’s ambition to become an uppermiddle-income economy by 2050.

Unveiled by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Dodoma last week, Tanzania Development Vision 2050 (TDV50) charts the next 25 years of transformation, aiming to grow the national economy to a projected 1 trillion US dollars.

But beyond numbers, this vision is about people especially the women who hold communities, families, and futures together.

Sectors where women will lead From agriculture and tourism to sports, finance, and the blue economy, Vision 2050 highlights nine sectors with high potential to create jobs, grow exports, and boost national income.

Women, many of whom already dominate informal markets and food production, stand to benefit greatly if they are given equal tools, access, and voice.

For women entrepreneurs, farmers, creatives, and innovators, this vision opens new doors. It calls for value addition in agriculture (where women make up more than 60 per cent of the workforce), support for womenled businesses, and formalization of the informal sector. Leadership, but inclusive.

The Vision boldly calls for leadership that reflects the whole of Tanzania not just the few.

That means more women in decisionmaking roles, in government, and in public service. It also means tackling long-standing barriers such as Gender-Based Violence (GBV), political exclusion, and lack of institutional support for women and girls. Because real change isn’t just about inclusion it’s about power sharing.

Well-being with a woman’s lens Health, education, and social safety nets are central to Vision 2050 and the focus is refreshingly inclusive. The plan promises to strengthen healthcare systems, prioritize reproductive health and education for women and girls, and create a strong, techenabled social protection system.

It acknowledges that a woman’s ability to contribute to the economy is directly tied to how safe, supported, and healthy she is. This approach offers not just services but dignity.