Dr Tulia Ackson wants girls and women to vie for leadership positions
Dar es Salaam. The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Tulia Ackson on Thursday, October 10, advised girls and women in Tanzania to embrace self-reliance and confidence for them to be considered for top leadership positions.
According to Dr Ackson most girls and women in Tanzania lack the confidence to vie for the elections on the grounds that the top leadership positions are meant for men.
“The President appointed me as a Member of Parliament (MP) after he knew that I was the right person to serve in that position. Therefore, I, encourage all girls and women to be inspired to chase their dreams,” said Dr Ackson during the Girls Speak Out Forum, organized by the Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF).
She added: “Tanzania is ranked the second after Rwanda in African countries reported having a large number of female representatives in the Parliament.”
The Forum brought together over 170 girls and women aged 15 - 25 years from Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Mara. It was supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
Meanwhile, Dr Ackson further urged all eligible girls and women to register themselves to ensure they cast their votes during the forthcoming Local Government Elections.
In Mainland Tanzania, the civic polls will be held in 12,319 villages, 4,264 streets and 64,384 hamlets, according to the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).
Dr Ackson further highlighted that the government has ratified a number of regional and international human rights treaties pertaining to gender equality and rights including child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and domestic violence.
The CDF Acting Executive Director Lennyster Byarugaba during the Forum said the event had aimed to empower, motivate and strengthen girls and young women’s leadership movement.
She appealed to Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly to further promote the specific agenda of women empowerment during the Parliamentary meetings.
“I commend the government for coming up with the Free Education Policy as the majority of the girl children have access to quality education,” said the CDF boss.
