On 8th March of each year is a special day for women celebration all over the world. In the Singida region, Tanzania celebrated International Women’s Day. They were joined by many other regions throughout Tanzania.
There many challenges still facing women of Tanzania such as psychological violence, lack of decision making, harassment, domestic and intimate partner violence, emotional abuse and many others. We need to reject discrimination and violence against women and instead create the spirit of self determination, self awareness, self-reliance and implementation of capacity building.
But, in spite of gender inequality and violence faced by many women in Tanzania, much of the economic development in rural and urban areas is led by women. Particularly in rural areas, agriculture and industrial production relies heavily on Tanzanian women.
Mrs. Maida Waziri is one of the highest regarded engineering women in Tanzania and President of Voice of Women (VOWET). During the celebration, she spoke to the crowd stating that the government should implement education policies that can empower women, enhance capacity building and networking for betterment of the country's economy.
The empowerment of women needs to start from the family. In the family level, especially in rural areas, mothers are instruments of productivity and not human beings. For example, the mother carries all the responsibilities of taking care of her children and husband, going to farm, carrying firewood, and cooking food for the family. Most of the girls get married before maturity age and drop out of school. Because of this, Mrs. Waziri stressed we need to work towards eliminating violence so we can foster development.
Mrs. Waziri also encouraged women to be involved in small business and ordered them to work hard with effective goals and objectives.
"We don’t need to blame and condemn government regulation but instead we should create the spirit of self reliance, hard work and sustainability." -- Mrs. Maida Waziri, VOWET President.
Honorable Mr. Felix M, the Temeke District Commissioner Officer, was the guest of honor in Dar Es Salaam City (Mwembe Yanga area) during the Women’s Day celebration. He said that drug abuse is a serious issue that is affecting the future generation, the builders of our nation. He urged women to assist the government towards abolishing this critical and dangerous issue.
Training and education for women is essential in the establishment of small industries of high quality production. Mr. Felix M urged and encouraged women to engage themselves in all the production sectors. Women should be able to take part in government leadership, as well as participate in the health and education sectors. They should educate their children so that they can reach their potential.
The women's group at Kurasini Dar es Salaam together with Mivinjeni Primary school teachers, worked with young girl students to enforce moral and intellectual education. They also spent time to visit Temeke hospital, providing foods and drinks to the child and mother clinic. While at the hospital, the women's group donated blood to help mothers with complications in childbirth. They appealed the government to create conducive environmentand provide employment opportunity for women.
In Tanzania, women are fundamental focal points towards industrial development. Sustainability and educational equality for men and women is what we will continue to work for.
