DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) has lauded the significant increase in women’s participation in the recently concluded Local Government Election, calling upon them to unite and collaborate to further enhance their involvement in politics and leadership roles.
TGNP Board Chairperson, Gemma Akilimali said that this year’s local government election has seen a remarkable increase in women engagement in electoral process, taking over leadership roles even in areas which some of them had never been governed by women.
Ms Akilimali was speaking in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday during the 2024 Women in Leadership Summit, which, among others, reflected on the 30 years after the Beijing Conference.
“I am delighted that our forum is being held after the Local Government Election, where this year women were highly motivated to participate in the election process… despite the challenges, many women have secured leadership positions in some areas, where women attained chairperson positions in local government for the very first time since these roles were established,” she said.
Ms Akilimali added: “This is something to be proud of and to celebrate, approximately 14 women from various parts of the country have secured the chairmanship positions”.
She said this year’s forum is guided by the theme: “Celebrate, Reflect and Envision for Beijing +30: Her Vision 2050,” saying there will also be the launch of a book documenting the Beijing journey and the presentation of awards to encourage women who have excelled in various roles.
Ms Akilimali called upon women to use the forum to build and strengthen networks and partnerships in advancing and solidifying the women’s agenda, to bring transformative changes to their lives as individuals and as a society in general.
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TGNP Executive Director, Ms Lilian Liundi said that Tanzania has made significant strides 30 years after the Beijing Conference.
She said as of January 2019, the country ranked 2nd in East Africa with 36.9 per cent of parliamentary seats held by women.
“This achievement is not just a statistic; it is a reflection of our resilience and strength as women united in purpose. We have witnessed groundbreaking moments, our first female President Samia Suluhu Hassan and two powerful female speakers of the Parliament, Anne Makinda and Dr Tulia Ackson,” she said.
Ms Liundi cited Mkunwa Ward in which in the just concluded local government election almost 50 per cent of hamlet chairpersons are women.
She said the achievements have been made possible through the leadership project which was being implemented by TGNP in the area with support from the UN Women.
She further said that despite the progress, the number of women in local government is still low, noting that only 6.5 per cent of women are councillors, adding that after 2019 local government election women made only 2. 1 per cent of elected village chairpersons, 6.7 per cent of elected hamlet chairpersons and 12.6 per cent of elected street chairpersons.
“These are very low numbers we have to do something, especially at the local government.”
She said despite the milestone, there are still challenges in which women need to confront with unwavering courage and determination such as the barriers they face, cultural biases, economic disparities and systemic discrimination.
“Together we can dismantle these obstacles and advocate for policies that empower women at all levels of decision making. Our voices are powerful tools for change. Let us envision a future where you and I lead with confidence in every sphere of life,” she said.
She called upon women to work towards increasing their participation in politics and leadership roles while fostering supportive environment that nurture their aspiration.
