Women funded, futures shaped
IN every corner of Tanzania, from bustling cities to rural villages, thousands of women are stepping into a new era of economic opportunity, thanks to sweeping reforms and expanded access to government backed financial support.
By April 2025, over 4,557 women’s groups had received a total of 40.71bn/- in interest-free loans, part of the government’s broader initiative to empower women economically through local councils’ internal revenue allocations.
Speaking while tabling 2025/26 budget estimates for her docket, Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, described the 2024/25 fiscal year as one of tangible progress for women entrepreneurs.
“This funding has enabled women across Tanzania to start and grow businesses, create jobs, and contribute directly to their communities,” she said.
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But it’s not just about money. The Ministry has also trained leaders and coordinators in all 26 regions, equipping them to guide women’s groups and ensure that the platforms designed to support them are active, accessible, and effective.
This training is part of the Ministry’s overhaul of the 2022 Guidelines for Women’s Economic Empowerment Platforms, updated to meet today’s needs.
As part of further reforms, each region is now required to nominate 57 groups of women entrepreneurs eligible for loans through the Women’s Development Fund. This new model aims to ensure regional equity in access to opportunities.
Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, the Ministry issued 704.5mil/- in loans through this scheme. The loans carry a low interest rate of 4 per cent, and are available both to women’s groups and individual entrepreneurs.
As of April 2025, 37.2 per cent of the loans had been repaid, amounting to just over 247mil/-.
Looking ahead, she said the Ministry plans to expand the programme in 2025/26, with women now required to submit loan requests through their local Community Development Officers at the council level.
“Repayment is not just about accountability, it’s about making sure these funds continue to circulate and support more women across the country,” Dr Gwajima said, urging all beneficiaries to follow through on their loan agreements.
In partnership with the President’s-Office-RegionalAdministration-and-Local-Government-(PORALG), the Ministry has also coordinated broader efforts under the 10 per cent local government loan scheme, which has so far distributed 82.83bn/- to 8,275 groups, including women, youth, and people with disabilities.
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Driving this momentum is a newly formed National Platform Promotion Committee, chaired by Ms Lilian Mtali, Director of Marketing at Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB), with Dr Judith Mhina from the private sector serving as patron.
“Together, they are spearheading a five-year campaign dubbed “Inuka–Imarika–Tusua Kiuchumi” literally translate to “Rise – Strengthen – Achieve Economic Growth”, to be implemented from 2025,” she said.
The campaign will raise awareness and accelerate the formation of women’s groups, bringing financial tools and training to even the most remote areas. For many women in Tanzania, economic empowerment is no longer just a dream—it’s becoming a lived reality.
