By Daniela Bajan – Art in Tanzania internship
As is well known, gender is a constructed concept. In sociology, there is a distinction between sex and gender. Sex is the biological characteristic societies use to assign people to male or female. On the other hand, we have gender, which is an understanding of how culture shapes our perception of those biological categories. More specifically, it is a concept that describes how societies determine and manage sex categories, the cultural meanings attached to men’s and women’s roles, and how individuals understand their identities, including, but not limited to, being a man, woman, transgender, intersex, genderqueer and other gender positions. Gender involves social norms, attitudes and activities that society deems more appropriate for one sex over another. Gender is also determined by what an individual feels and does.
Weaker characteristics are usually attributed to women, they are perceived as individuals who work in the private sphere, that is at home.
Below, you will read a short list of some great Tanzanian women. With their commitment, they have motivated, changed, and encouraged the citizens of Tanzania. Their hard work is well connected with one of the seventeen goals of the United Nations: gender equality. Achieving gender equality and empowering all women is necessary for a sustainable and peaceful world.
REBECA Z. GYUMI “I call everyone to lend their voice, to win this fight”
She is the Founder and Executive Director at Msichana Initiative, a Tanzanian NGO that aims to empower girls through education. She is a lawyer, and she won a case on child marriages. In July 2016, the country’s High Court ruled that the Marriage Act, which allowed girls as young as 14 to be married, was unconstitutional. The decision raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both girls and boys.
She’s a brave woman who has visited different parts of Tanzania to discuss current issues such as sexual and reproductive health. Rebecca is recognized internationally for her engagement in youth and girls’ rights.
GERTRUDE MONGELLA “It is not enough just to open the door to the rooms of power. We have to get inside and rearrange the furniture!”
She is the Special Advisor to the ECA Executive Secretary and to the UNESCO Director-General; the founder of Advocacy for Women in Africa (AWA); and the former president of the Pan-African Parliament.
In 1993 she became a diplomat to the UN and led the fourth World Conference on Women (1993-1995).
She is a feminist who has supported Palestinian women’s gains of power in political processes. Recently, she became Tanzania’s Goodwill Ambassador to the World Health Organization and a member of the AU’s African Women’s Committee for Peace and Development.
FARAJA NYALANDU: “We have all heard what we are capable of. Now, we just need to own the accolades”
In 2013, she established Shule Direct, an organisation providing comprehensive web and mobile educational platforms offering learning content to over 1 million in and out-of-school youth. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Education, Gender and Work. The Segal Family Foundation has awarded Faraja a 2017 System Innovator award for systemic change in digital learning in Secondary School education in Tanzania and a Woman in Tech award by the Tanzania Women of Achievement Awards 2018
HELEN KIJO-BISIMBA: “Remember, today’s children are the leaders of tomorrow.”
is a Human Rights activist in Tanzania and was the Executive Director of the country’s Legal and Human Rights Centre. This civic body ensures every Tanzanian individual’s human rights are protected and respected from all sorts of abuses. She fought for the rights of local marginalized people, both young and old, men and women.
She was the first Tanzanian woman to receive the Tanzania Woman of Courage Award, issued by the American Embassy in Tanzania in 2008. In fact, in 2001, she made a statement against the government.
UMMY MWALIMU
She is a politician who has been Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors, and Children in the Cabinet of Tanzania. She has a bachelor’s degree in Law and received her Master’s degree in law from the University of Pretoria. She has worked in legal, research, and governance roles in different NGO agencies.
MARIA SARUNGI TSEHAI
She is known for her online campaign “Change Tanzania”. Change Tanzania started as a hashtag on Twitter to influence Tanzanian people to participate in bringing positive change in different aspects of life. She is an activist and she has a degree in Humanities, she has participated in the making of films such as Am Tired (2005) and Born on Fire (2008). Through media, she promotes education to young women, and against discrimination toward women.
DORIS MOLLEL
She launched the Doris Mollel Foundation with the primary goal of reducing death rates for premature babies. Her Foundation concentrates on raising awareness for premature babies, furnishing hospitals with equipment to ensure their survival while in hospital.
SAMIA SULUHU
She is a politician, and she became Tanzania’s first female Vice-President. She served as a Member of Parliament for the Makunduchi constituency from 2010 to 2015 and has been Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office for Union Affairs since 2010-
FLAVIANA MATATA
She is a pure philanthropist for social change. The Flaviana Matata Foundation empowers young, orphaned girls in Tanzania through education, training and microfinance projects to improve their lives.
VICTORIA KISYOMBE
She founded Selfina, which pioneered micro-credit in Tanzania through micro-leasing, with particular attention to widows and young girls. This foundation empowers women to become more independent and supports their livelihoods.
SOURCES:
http://www.lionessesofafrica.com/blog/2020/8/18/quote-of-the-day-by-faraja-nyalandu
https://theafricalistinsights.com/latest-news/faraja-nyalandu-shule-direct-tanzania-lawyer-turned-tech-entrepreneur
https://dailynews.co.tz/news/helen-kijo-bisimba-a-strong-selfless-human-rights-activist.aspx
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