Patriarchy Still a Challenge for Women in Political Parties in Tanzania
"I joined politics because I saw that many women’s
issues were not being included in policies, plans, and budgets since most
decision-making positions were dominated by men.
"This is due to the continued dominance of patriarchal
systems within political parties in the country. I wanted to become a
leader to make a difference by ensuring that women's and other marginalized
groups' issues are included in policies, plans, and budgets. Personally, I
believe every woman is a leader—she just needs the courage and determination to
take charge."
These are the words of Lucy John Mtembo, 40
years old, an active member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and
Chairperson of the Tanzania Women’s Union (UWT) in the North
Unguja Region.
Lucy began her political journey in 2010, a time when
leadership positions such as councilor, representative, and member of
parliament were mostly held by men, while women were primarily seen as mere
campaigners.
She says, "I have learned that we must be courageous,
willing to learn new things, and develop actionable plans to become effective
leaders."
Lucy explains that women are still underrepresented in
leadership positions and decision-making bodies.
"We women are more numerous than men, but our majority
is not reflected in leadership roles or decision-making bodies," she says.
Despite Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar ratifying various
regional and international agreements that call for gender equality in
political participation and leadership, Lucy states that women remain
underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions.
She believes that some contributing factors include patriarchy,
discriminatory perceptions, and gender-based division of roles.
Statistics show that in Zanzibar, only eight women have
successfully contested and won constituency leadership positions, while 18
women gained seats through special seats, bringing the total number of
women in the Zanzibar House of Representatives to 29 out of 77 members,
equivalent to 40%.
Fatma Abdul Habib Ferej, Chairperson of the
Women's Wing of ACT Wazalendo, who has held various leadership
positions in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, agrees that the number
of women in leadership is still low and needs urgent attention.
"Although the government has signed several regional
and international agreements promoting gender equality in leadership and
decision-making bodies, women's participation remains unsatisfactory,"
says Fatma.
She adds that her party has women's councils and a central
committee where women make up 52% of all participants.
Fatma explains, "Equal participation of women in
decision-making is not just about rights or democracy—it must be treated as a
fundamental requirement to ensure women's interests are considered."
Meanwhile, Anna Athanas Paul, Deputy Minister
for the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, says
an assessment conducted by the ministry in various institutions shows that
women are still underrepresented in leadership compared to men, a matter that
needs to be addressed.
"Statistics collected by the ministry in March 2024
from various institutions show that only 30% of leadership
positions are held by women compared to 70% held by men,"
says the Deputy Minister.
Anna adds that the government continues to work toward
achieving the targets set in Vision 2050 and the Zanzibar
Development Plan (ZADEP) 2021–2026, aiming for gender parity in leadership
positions.
"The government is committed to promoting women's
participation in leadership and decision-making bodies, with the goal of
achieving a 50/50 gender balance," she emphasizes.
According to the 2022 Tanzania Population and
Housing Census, Zanzibar has a population of 1.8 million people,
comprising 915,492 men and 974,281 women, meaning
women make up 51.6% of the total population. However, this
majority is not reflected in leadership positions.
The Tanzania Media Women’s Association – Zanzibar
(TAMWA ZNZ) is a non-governmental organization that advocates for
girls’ rights and encourages women’s participation in leadership roles. TAMWA
ZNZ Executive Director, Dr. Mzuri Issa, says that most political
parties in the country are still dominated by patriarchal structures, which discourage
women from seeking leadership positions.
"Women aspiring to leadership should not lose hope.
They must be brave and determined to increase their representation in
leadership roles in 2025 to achieve the 50/50 goal
we are aiming for," says Dr. Mzuri.
Mohamed Ali Ahmed, Deputy Register of
Political Parties in Tanzania (Zanzibar branch), says the addition of Section
10C to the Political Parties Act provides an opportunity to increase
women's participation.
"With this new provision, political parties will now
be required to maintain a gender policy at all times, which will help increase
women's participation in leadership positions," concludes the Deputy
Registrar.
Post a Comment