Views of the state of gender equality in politics

Dar es Salaam.  Concerns about equality and inclusivity have gained prominence as the country prepares for the next local elections.

Opposition political leaders, advocacy organisations, and other political stakeholders are pleading with the government to act quickly and forcefully to remove the structural obstacles preventing women and young people from fully engaging in the election process.

These calls emphasise the need to create an enabling environment that fosters equitable access, ensuring that all voices are heard and represented in shaping the future of local governance.

Saranga’s Ward, vice chairperson for the Centre of Knowledge and Information, Mr Hancy Obote, said the government should direct political parties to reform restrictive internal regulations to foster inclusivity and promote equitable representation.

“Empowering women and youth to actively engage in the electoral process is not only vital for democracy but also essential for harnessing the full potential of these under-represented groups in shaping the nation’s future,” he said.

He said:  “Since the process began, we as a centre had a key objective in our one-year action plan: to ensure we conduct awareness campaigns targeting women and youth groups. This was aimed at ensuring that, when the election process begins, women and youth actively participate in large numbers.”

Mr Obote said that they are very grateful to see that they succeeded in this.

“When we look at some of the names that were approved, even on the regular list, as we go through the names, we see that many women have come forward. This shows that a large number of women participated, “he said.

“It reflects that we have done significant work. It is encouraging to see that what we did has yielded results, and women have responded positively. Some wished or would have liked to contest even in the chairperson position but missed the opportunity because the forms ran out of stock.”

Additionally, there should be provisions for independent candidates to contest for various local government positions. If the government allows that, individual candidates could have a significant contribution to make because the candidate could not align with any political party or specific agenda, but he/she aspires to lead the community.

Explaining further, the electoral commission should direct political parties to ensure gender balance between men and women. For instance, when we say we want a chairperson, there should be two candidates, one male and one female.

Mr Obete stressed that it was disappointing to see that several political parties set strict conditions that young people and women are unable to contest. Many parties state that for someone to be eligible to run for local government elections, one must have been a member of that party for more than five years.

This creates barriers for women and youth to participate in elections.

"If you look at how big our ward is, it could fit three other wards in it. The worst part is that the area where people live is still under construction, and mountains are making it impossible to use motorcycles, bicycles, and cars; one can only access the polling station by walking.

“I intentionally decided to register in that area to know the distance. I walked for 45 minutes; just keep in mind that I walked for 45 minutes under the blazing sun. Now, think about a woman with a child at her back home or the pregnant woman, and the open areas where many people would go to register are available if they can manage to go to vote with that geographical position,” he said.

I even called the chairman to ask why they decided to do it this way, and he said the local government decided to place fewer registration centres."

Representative of Saranga Ward, through the opposition Chadema, Ms Menidora Mpogole they are grateful for the President's call to address minor mistakes by disqualifying people not to contest.

“We have seen that the political committee has acted. In our neighbourhood, those who were previously sidelined have been reinstated; this indicates that those who were disqualified will now vote for local government elections,” she said.

In October this year, President Samia called Tanzanians to actively participate in the local government elections set for November 27, 2024, stressing their significance as a precursor to the 2025 general elections.

She urged the public to view the civic polls as a vital opportunity to promote democracy and community involvement.

"As the youth say, ‘we should not take it lightly.’ This election is just as important as any other and provides us with a glimpse of what to expect in the general elections next year. Therefore, I urge all eligible citizens to participate fully in this important election."

She also emphasised the importance of understanding the difference between the voter list used for local government elections and the permanent voter register for the general election. "I encourage everyone to register in their respective areas for the upcoming elections, as this reflects public engagement in regional development and the management of community-level economic activities," she said.