DAR ES SALAAM:The Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) marked 30 years since the Beijing Declaration with a Women and Leadership Forum held in Dar es Salaam today (December 18, 2024).
The event highlighted the importance of increased participation by women in the upcoming general elections to vie for leadership positions.
TGNP Executive Director Lilian Liundi expressed joy over the progress in local government elections, where many women assumed chairperson roles, and voiced confidence that these numbers will continue to grow.
She pointed out that data from the 2019 elections revealed only 6.5 percent of elected women were councilors, 2.1 percent were village chairpersons, 6.7 percent hamlet chairpersons, and 12.6 percent street chairpersons, emphasizing that these figures fall short of the desired targets.
“We are optimistic that next year’s elections will yield better results. Already, we have examples of women who broke barriers in the last elections,” she said.
Gertrude Mongella, the first President of the Pan-African Parliament and former Secretary-General of the Beijing Conference, emphasized the need to identify and support capable female candidates for the upcoming elections.
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“We must find the right people and encourage them to achieve the higher percentages we are striving for. We must also contribute ideas, take action, and volunteer to ensure these changes materialize,” she said.
She underscored that this is no easy task and requires a 50-year vision for steady progress and effective succession planning.
TGNP Board Chairperson Gemma Akilimali celebrated the forum’s timing following the local government elections, where women demonstrated increased enthusiasm and achieved leadership roles, with some becoming chairpersons for the first time.
“This is something to be proud of and to celebrate. As we approach 2025, marking 30 years since the historic Beijing women’s conference, we are joined today by some of the women who participated in that milestone, including Zakia Meghji, Ruth Meena, Eda Sanga, Hellen Bisimba, and others,” she said.
She added that the forum sought to bring together women leaders, particularly from the political sphere, to share their experiences.
During the event, TGNP honored women with awards for courage and determination and unveiled a book chronicling the journey of the Beijing Declaration.
