Rising Woman Forum Zanzibar: Stakeholders stress role of men in empowering women

Zanzibar. To effectively advance the objectives of empowering women across various roles, stakeholders have emphasised the indispensable inclusion of men in this endeavour.

This emerged on Monday, March 25 at the launch of The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative (RWI), Zanzibar, held at the Madinat Al Bahir Hotel.

The occasion was graced by the presence of the Chief Secretary of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGZ), Zena Ahmed Said.

The initiative was launched under the empowering theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’, which resonates with the collective aspiration to foster a more inclusive environment for women's advancement in various spheres of society.

RWI is an annual initiative coordinated by Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) through its flagship business newspaper, The Citizen.

RWI tells the success stories of female leaders from the private and public sectors with the aim of promoting gender equality and inclusion in the workplace and inspiring the next generation of female leaders.

Speaking during a panel discussion, the director of the Tanzania Media Women’s Association, Zanzibar (TAMWA ZNZ), Dr Mzuri Issa Ali, said her organisation has conducted significant advocacy to facilitate women’s participation in leadership positions.

Revealingly, in those advocacy campaigns, they have used men to bring about change.

“We have used men themselves to champion societal transformations and combat entrenched misconceptions that confine women solely to domestic roles,” she said.

She noted that although it was not an easy task, it has been successful, and there are visible changes that have been made.

Dr Mzuri stated that she has seen advancements in gender inclusion right within the ZRG, where women occupy senior positions.

Chief Executive Officer of Zanzibar Maisha Bora Foundation (ZMBF), Fatma Fungo, emphasised the importance of gender inclusivity in bringing about change and development.

"Without being together, women and men, it will be difficult to achieve the desired results, as both sides are important," she said.

She noted that through the ZMBF, they conduct various programmes, with 90 percent of the participants being women.

She said the areas they focus on include empowering seaweed farmers to bring about economic changes, advocating for nutrition and combating abuse.

She added that they aim to maximise the productivity of seaweed farming for greater impact.

Meanwhile, CEO of the Mwanamke Initiatives Foundation, Sabra Ali Mohamed, said that their institution provides financial education, product quality education, and market access to the participants.

Through that, they have empowered 100 groups to eradicate poverty. In the group, they have reached 300 women, while their goal is to reach 1,000 this year.

However, she noted that they will be able to reach more women with the participation of men and the community as a whole.

The Head of the Children's Development Division and Coordinator of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) in Zanzibar, Mohamed Jabir Makame, stated that history shows that men are the ones with authority, and if you exclude them, you cannot succeed.

"Men play a role in empowering women and ensuring their rise in all aspects, economically, politically, and socially, as they are trusted in management. Therefore, there is a need to include them," he said.

He mentioned the need to remove barriers and misconceptions that have become entrenched in society.

Mr Makame recalled in 2019 when they conducted a campaign for gender equality where some men initially refused to allow their wives to participate in electoral matters.

However, after involving the men, they observed improvements, and the men eventually allowed women to participate.

For her part, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Zanzibar Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB), Dr Josephine Kimaro, has said that women must have their own dreams, prepare themselves and create conducive environments so that when opportunities come, they are already prepared.

"If you have goals you want to achieve or intend to use a certain approach, then you cannot waver because you'll know that for that goal, I need to reach a certain place," she noted.

Another thing is preparation, she said. Even though there may be enabling environments, women must empower themselves individually to be able to grab opportunities that arise.

"You must also recognize the obstacles in order to know how to solve them and reach your goals or the position you are supposed to reach," she said.

On top of that, Dr Kimaro has urged integrity among leaders in all sectors so as to empower other people they work with.

The Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), Hafsa Mbamba, is committed to promoting gender equality in the sector that she leads.

“I have made a commitment to promote transparency and gender equality in the tourism sector, considering the crucial role that women play in shaping the entire future of the tourism sector in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania,” she said.