Breaking barriers: Journey of women in Tanzania politics

IN Tanzania, the journey toward gender equality in politics has been both inspiring and challenging. Over the years, women have slowly but surely carved out a space for themselves in what was once an almost entirely male-dominated arena.

Progress is evident, yet the path remains fraught with obstacles. One of the key measures the Tanzanian government has implemented to bolster women’s participation is the introduction of reserved seats in Parliament and local councils.

A significant step forward came with the mandate in the Constitution, requiring at least 30 per cent of the National Assembly’s seats to be reserved for women.

This policy has opened doors for women to take on leadership roles and voice the concerns of half the population. Yet, numbers alone don’t tell the full story.

Behind these statistics are the lives of women who have risen to leadership positions, navigating a political landscape that still, in many ways, resists change.

One shining example of this progress is Dr Tulia Ackson, the current Speaker of the National Assembly. Her position as the second female Speaker of Tanzania reflects not just personal achievement but the growing acceptance of women in top government roles. She follows in the footsteps of Anne Makinda, the country’s first female Speaker, who held the role from 2010 to 2015. Dr Tulia’s rise to prominence is not an isolated story.

Many women in Tanzania are breaking through ceilings, driven by a sense of duty to represent their communities and fight for equality.

But for every success story, there are countless women who face immense challenges. Socio-cultural norms, economic barriers and limited access to education remain significant hurdles that hold women back from fully participating in politics.

The UN Women gender analysis shows there is small number and weak participation of women as leaders within political parties in the country.

In the analysis revealed earlier in this year, in 19 registered political parties, women are 10.5 per cent of party’s chairpersons and Secretary Generals.

“The representation of women in leadership positions at the local level is even lower, with only 2.7 per cent of Ward Council Chairpersons, 2.1 per cent of Women Village Chairpersons… And 6.7 per cent of Women Hamlets’ Chairpersons being women and Street Chairpersons is at 12.65 per cent, which is too far from achieving gender parity,” the analysis portrays.” the analysis says.

Though, President Samia’s leadership as the first female president in the country has been a beacon of inspiration to young girls and women in Tanzania and East African countries as whole.

Her presidency brought a major impact on young girls and women, showing that a woman is capable of anything and can take on any role in any position.

The Msichana Initiative, a local organisation dedicated to empowering young women, has been at the forefront of this movement.

Through the “Sauti Yetu, Nguvu Yetu” project dubbed (Our Voice, Our Strength), the organisation has reached over 200 girls across four regions, equipping them with the essential leadership skills and tools to champion girl’s rights in their communities.

The project has effectively groomed 20 young women leaders in those four regions—Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Tabora and the Coast Region.

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Addressing recently to the journalists at the closing event of the first phase of the ‘Sauti Yetu,Nguvu Yetu’ project , the Executive Director of Msichana Initiative, Ms Rebeca Gyumi underscored the significance of the project saying training that has been provided will going to be the turning point of reaching many other girls in the community.

According to the organisation, 20 young women leaders have successfully reached 240 other girls as part of the groups they lead in their communities. “In two years, participants have engaged in comprehensive workshops covering critical skills, including leadership strategies, public speaking and effective advocacy techniques,” she says.

She, however, said the training will help young women to overcome the challenges they face in the political atmosphere, especially sexual bribery. Ms Gyumi expresses her optimism that the trained young women are motivated to vie for various leadership positions in the upcoming local government election and general election.

“We want young women to understand that sexual bribery is against the Constitution and that they should have the guts to report the incident when they encounter it in various areas including political arenas,” she underlines.

Adding: “We will support them in every way possible so that we can build a generation ready to bring about change in society without relying on the same old people.”

One of the project’s beneficiaries, Ms Mwajuma Hima, who resides in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, claims that the training inspired her to run in the next local government election.

Ms Hima plans to contest for a street representative position this year and aims to run for a councillor seat next year.

“After receiving training through this project, I have gained the confidence to raise my voice and be heard in the community,” she adds.

Another beneficiary, Ms Loveness Athuman from Tabora Region, expresses her plan to run for a councillor position in the general elections next year to tackle systemic challenges that oppress women in society.

She also adds that the training she received made her realise the extent of women’s oppression and the need for empowerment to recognise their rights. “As a leader, I will champion the agenda and advocate for girls and women to ensure they get their rights,” she says.