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Graça Machel commends Tanzanian's financial inclusion policy
Finance permanent secretary Natu Mwamba (left) chats with Ms Graça Machel, founder of the Graça Machel Trust, in Dar es Salaam on July 25, 2023. Looking on is Bank of Tanzania deputy governor Sauda Kassim Msemo. PHOTO | SUNDAY GEORGE
What you need to know:
- The gender equality advocate has hailed the government for launching initiatives that helps to build inclusive economy
Dar es Salaam. A veteran human rights and gender equality advocate, Graça Machel has hailed the government for starting initiatives towards the launching of a financial inclusion policy.
She said this when she officially welcomed the deputy governor of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Ms Sauda Kassim Msemo to the Expert Leaders Group (ELG).
Graça Machel and other ELG member met in Dar es Salaam on July 24th, 2023.
Ms Msemo was appointed to the position by President Suluhu Samia at the beginning of June this year.
She takes the baton from Dr Natu Mwamba, the first woman in the history of Tanzania to hold the position.
He has been appointed permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
The former Mozambican First Lady said the initiatives will help build inclusive economies and institutions that respond to the needs of women. “So, we are encouraged and grateful that Tanzania sees the important role women play in the economy, and that it was possible to work with Dr Mwamba and now continue with Mrs Msemo,” she said.
Ms Machel said the Trust support ensures that no African women are left behind, adding that the goal of the ELG is to influence transformative policy actions that promote opportunities to advance the growth of women’s businesses as a pillar of economic recovery and reconstruction.
“Msemo, will bring her expertise and knowledge to the ELG as her predecessor Mwamba did.
“The Trust was started when I realised that as a continent we had made progress including women in leadership”.
She also said she realised that the continent had made very little progress in the economic space.
“There were lots of initiatives but they were fragmented and not always being strategic enough to transform economies,” she said.
She said there is no structure or platform for women to come together and have the legitimacy to say.
‘These are the realities lived by women and these are the aspirations of women themselves’ and have this expressed in a way they could shake and eventually transform systems, structures and institutions. This is why the Trust and the different elements of it were started," she said.
In 2021, the Graça Machel Trust convened the ELG under the leadership of Graça Machel, consisting of current and retired female deputy governors of central banks, financial regulators, and senior financial sector leaders to elevate the voices of African women.
It represents the five African regions and collaborates with the Trusts’ women’s sector-based networks to build stronger political will and investment in a Covid-19 recovery agenda that is gendered and promotes accountability for action.
