Kanen mission: Empowering women in diplomacy

Dar es Salaam. Kanen Nehemiah is the founder and executive director of Tanzania’s Women in Diplomacy organisation.

An organisation was founded to help young, aspiring female leaders become more involved in diplomacy and gain professional experience.

With over 10 years of experience in community development, volunteering, and social responsibility throughout her academic career, she was eager to learn more about the unique interactions that exist between different nations and cultures, as well as how countries may benefit from one another.

Working with various groups sharpened her leadership skills in a variety of ways, including cultivating more empathy, developing a deeper understanding of people’s needs, developing effective communication skills, learning to think, identifying root causes, and developing innovative solutions.

She said: “By honing the skills listed above, I have learned to adapt easily to changing circumstances, maintain a clear vision and set goals, build partnerships and networks, and gain a deeper understanding of myself, my strengths, weaknesses and values.”

She established this organization after being inspired by the strong interest young women showed in the field of diplomacy. Many of them aspired to become diplomats, policy analysts, consular officers, and international law consultants after she had worked with them in various capacities.

“The organisation also aims to impact the lives of marginalized societies and promote economic diplomacy, following the example of influential women in the country who have succeeded in the field of diplomacy. The notable women in Tanzanian history who have excelled in diplomacy, such as Dr Asha Rose Migiro, Gertrude Mongela, Liberata Mulamula, and Amina Salum, inspired me to establish and run the organisation,” said Kanen.

The organisation reaches marginalised women; it has training programmes for skills development and entrepreneurship to empower individuals to participate in the economy and create their own livelihood.

She also participates in advocating for policies that promote inclusivity, such as equal access to resources, land rights for marginalized groups, and fair labour practices. She also imparts skills and knowledge to women through her organization.

She said that at the Women in Diplomacy Organization, they have a specific policy to champion gender equality called the Equal Training and Development Policy, which aims at providing equal access to all career growth opportunities.

Through the policy, individuals are trained in the organization as well as getting opportunities to learn from other organisations. When sharing these opportunities, they consider diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Apart from her organisation work, Kanen is a global champion for the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda in Tanzania.

Her role here is to ensure SDG 17, which is an explicit recognition of the importance of good governance in underpinning development.

With her being the champion, she is supporting women to unleash their potential by engaging in national and international conferences, projects, seminars, advocacy for youth participation, and other international issues.

“My long-term goal is to become a national-level youth policy adviser on youth engagement in economic empowerment, using my commitment and drive to bring more dignity and autonomy to the youth of developing countries in community development,” she says. She educates people on how to better understand the sustainable development goals, how they relate to each other, and their targets, while also raising awareness among my community members, family, and friends about the SDGs.

This role is through the use of social media to share information and participate in local events and campaigns related to sustainable development.

She also leads by example by taking action in community clean-ups, tree planting, or educational programmes and collaborating with different business governments and NGOs to promote sustainable practices.

She stays updated on developments in sustainability and attends international conferences and forums on sustainable development.

On her career journey, she counts President Samia Suluhu Hassan as her inspiration.

“She is not only the first female president of the United Republic of Tanzania but also our number one diplomat. She inspires me because being a woman, wife, and mother did not prevent her from becoming a great leader,” said Kanen.

She said that despite her humble educational background, she slowly put in the in the effort to go for further education, and she was able to make it happen while continuing to rise to different ranks.

She is looking forward to advancing her career journey as a key player in public diplomacy.

“I envision myself having grown within this organisation of Women in Diplomacy, taking on more responsibilities in project management skills. I am interested in learning from my fellow experienced colleagues and hope to contribute to more innovative projects,” she says.

Adding to that, she said that while her path is focused, she is open to exploring new opportunities that come her way, always eager to learn and adapt in this dynamic world.