Women empowerment on course
TANZANIA is doing well in promotion of women to high levels of leadership and decision making, but more needs to be done to prioritise gender equality in leadership, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Stergomena Tax has said.
She said Tanzania was an example of nations that are doing well in empowering women as leaders and decision-makers, thanks to a political will of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government, though, the private sector was lagging behind the public sector in promoting women in leadership and decision making positions.
“You see we are doing fine but efforts are still needed. Women are still under-represented in leadership and decision making positions and the gap is huge in the private sector,” she said at the launching of Uongozi Institute’s second cohort of women’s leadership programme.
There has been notable progress towards gender equality in Parliament with proportion of seats held by women at around 36.86 per cent unchanged from recent years, she said.
“Women ministers represented 35 per cent of all the ministers this year up from 21 per cent in 2021,” she said noting that that was a testimony of government ambition to promote women in top leadership and decision making positions.
She said research show women led organisations were doing better because women were natural leaders, and were good at multitasking.
On her part, Ambassador Theresa Zitting of Finland said the Northern European nation was pleased to work with Tanzania in helping Uongozi Institute strive.
She said Uongozi institute had made great strides in preparing women to get into higher levels of leadership positions.
“It is great joy to see Uongozi Institute has become stronger and taking a lead in preparing women to become leaders and hold decision making positions,” she said.
The UN Women Country Representative, Hodan Addou said women worldwide remain underrepresented in higher levels of leadership and decision making positions in government, business and the community.
She said barriers to women’s leadership include cultural, legal and institutional obstacles.
Others are unconscious bias, poor recruitment practices and poor workplace cultures, she said.
Uongozi Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Kadari Singo said the women in leadership programme was a tailor-made for women and allows senior and emerging leaders to navigate through the unique leadership challenges that deter female professionals in the workplace from occupying senior leadership positions.
He said the programme aims to enhance women leaders’ ability to make strategic choices, lead people and other resources and excel in personal leadership qualities.
