The Citizen@20 : Years of promoting gender equality
What you need to know:
- To date the initiative has interviewed more than 260 women leaders, and this year the main event on the commemorations of International Women’s Day (IWD) was graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Dar es Salaam. The old saying, September to remember, goes well along with the celebrations as our baby, The Citizen, The Content that Counts, turns 20 years of its existence since it was started.
Four years back, Mwananchi Communications Limited business flagship brand The Citizen envisioned a world where gender equity advances opportunities for all and started a very exciting and unique initiative titled The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative (RWI) to empower women.
To date the initiative has interviewed more than 260 women leaders, and this year the main event on the commemorations of International Women’s Day (IWD) was graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The event usually happens for two months, and the climax is on the IWD.
The RWI idea that started in a boardroom, has grown into a brand that celebrates women's achievements by interviewing different women from different walks of life and sharing their stories on the challenges they went through as they strive to climb the career ladder to inspire other women and young girls.
The women are from the worlds of business, politics, art, sports, health, tourism, transportation, communication, and civil society, to mention a few, but generally a unique collection of female trailblazers who are distinct in their thinking but single-minded in their purpose, all for a new, equal, and thriving world.
Until now, the platform has interviewed more than 260 women, highlighting the challenges that need to be overcome to achieve equality for women and also sharing solutions.
Here are some women who were featured for the past four years:
Flora Obeto is a legal, regulatory and compliance expert who currently serves in the management of Vivo Energy Tanzania
Congratulations to The Citizen as you turn 20 years, your ability to capture the essence of our times and present it with clarity and integrity is truly commendable. Being featured in the RWI in 2023 was a pivotal moment in my career.
It wasn’t just about the recognition; it was about the doors that opened because of it. The visibility I gained allowed me to connect with other industry leaders and created opportunities that might not have been possible otherwise.
Sharing my journey through RWI was also a way to give back, to inspire other women facing similar challenges, and to encourage them to keep pushing forward. Being featured in the RWI is incredibly meaningful, not just for the individual but for all women striving to make their mark in various industries.
When women are recognized for their achievements, it sends a powerful message that their contributions are valued and essential. Personally, I believe this kind of recognition is a catalyst for change; it empowers women to reach for leadership roles and encourages them to break through barriers in fields that have traditionally been dominated by men.
Rushika Pattni is the co-founder and CEO of two start-ups focused on financial technology and human resources advisory, one of them being Recroot Africa
At the mark of 20 years, I would like to commend The Citizen to continue its work in prioritizing diversity in their profiling in terms of race, age, and industry.
Since my article on RWI was published, I have been blessed that it led to further connections for my Human Resources (HR) business and other speaking opportunities across Africa and outside.
I was proud to represent Tanzania to the world credibly. This initiative also led me to think about my personal branding more deliberately and say yes to further platforms where my story can be shared for others to be inspired by.
Thanks to this, I have now grown my HR business into multiple markets outside of Tanzania and expanded into more relevant services for the continent—for example, process outsourcing, corporate training, executive coaching, and also family business advisory services. I wish that we could have other articles or forums for trainings with all the featured women.
Mary Kalikawe Kiroyera Tours managing director
Being part of the RWI has been a game-changer for the tourism sector.
It started with local contacts reaching out, and even before I purchased The Citizen, I was inundated with congratulatory calls.
The opportunity to promote local tourism through women, who are often the primary family planners, was unique.
By featuring women’s voices in the tourism sector, I aimed to challenge families to explore affordable tour options.
Through RWI, I was able to revisit my contributions to the tourism sector over two decades.
As The Citizen celebrates its 20th anniversary, I encourage them to feature more voices of women from diverse backgrounds and life stages.
The article’s success has highlighted the importance of women’s leadership and perspectives in promoting local tourism.
By showcasing their experiences and insights, we can inspire families to explore their own country and support local businesses.
Maureen Njeri is a seasoned professional in the field of marketing and communications, with over 13 years of experience working across various sectors.
Well done, The Citizen, keep it up and keep it going. The feedback and acknowledgement I got after being featured in the RWI from the corporate space and the community was very empowering.
Being featured in the RWI is like getting a stamp of recognition, which is very fulfilling for the efforts done over the years. As corporate women, we do a lot in our careers but are not easily recognised as it is counted as our work.
I was so impressed by the approach taken this year to make sure women are being reached out in terms of interviewing women in terms of sector. This has helped to bring out more stories from each sector and given an opportunity for everyone in the ecosystem to be reached out. Going forward, I urge The Citizen to go deeper into the sectors.
An example of if it is the oil and gas sector, don’t only focus on the female engineers in those areas but also women who are supporting other women in those offices to be recognized.
These are the women who have stayed in the offices for so long and they know most of the office secrets hahaha kindly find a way to acknowledge them and share their stories.
Beatrice Johnson is a director of Light for Domestic Workers (LDW), a non-governmental organisation based in Morogoro
Based on my personal journey as a former housegirl who suffered abuse along the journey by the employer and some family members.
It was not an easy thing to share openly what I went through with the fear of stigma, but I had to.
I have been working to empower young girls working as house girls.
Without sharing my bitter journey, the majority of girls wouldn’t be inspired to come out and learn about their rights.
Thank you, The Citizen, for empowering my life and the lives of vulnerable girls who are still learning from me. After the story came out, I became more confident in talking about my story on other platforms, and other media houses approached me for more interviews.
More house girls are now opening up through your work.
Through RWI, I have been able to empty so many hearts of victims who couldn’t open up to me, thinking I had a happy upbringing.
The bitter journey of mine was very hard and shameful to share, but now it is a story of victory for many girls, as they also know their rights.
Dr Alphoncina Kagaigai a health economist and lecturer at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS)
The Citizen RWI has had a significant impact on my professional journey after publishing my story about how I developed an interest in health economics. Sharing my story through the initiative provided me with greater visibility within the health economics and broader public health communities. This recognition has helped me connect with professionals and organizations that align with my research interests and goals. I am now involved in a number of research projects that require health economics expertise, in different committees, both at the university level and the national level.
The initiative has opened up valuable networking opportunities. I have connected with other women leaders, mentors, and collaborators from diverse backgrounds, leading to fruitful collaborations, joint research projects, and invitations to speak at various conferences and workshops.
I have been able to mentor and inspire other young women interested in health economics and public health, sharing insights from my journey. I have received a number of phone calls from young women who wish to pursue a career in health economics, asking me to be their mentor or referee in their career.
The initiative has offered me opportunities for personal and professional growth through workshops, seminars, and training programs tailored for emerging female leaders.
These have helped me build essential skills such as leadership, advocacy, and I have been a keynote speaker in some workshops disseminating knowledge in areas around women and leadership and in health economics. I am being invited to speak about professional development at some student-organised events and university events.
