ESTABLISHING ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PLATFORMS FOR WOMEN MUST START AT THE VILLAGE AND STREET LEVEL - DR. GWAJIMA

The Minister of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Dr. Dorothy Gwajima, has called on coordinators of Women’s Economic Empowerment Platforms across the country to adhere to the new 2024 guidelines, which emphasize initiating the formation of platforms at the village and street level through entrepreneurial groups.

She further directed experts, chairpersons, and secretaries of these platforms at the regional level to verify all entrepreneurial groups at the village/street level and encourage them to establish the platforms.

Dr. Gwajima issued these directives on December 18, 2024, in Dodoma during the opening of the second phase of training on the new guidelines for coordinators and leaders of the platforms from 26 regions of mainland Tanzania.

“The new guidelines introduce improvements requiring these platforms to be formed by women’s entrepreneurial groups at the village and street level to avoid having platforms that do not engage with grassroots communities,” said Dr. Gwajima.

“To ensure the efficiency of these platforms, we have emphasized the need for regional administrations and local government authorities to facilitate their implementation. Therefore, regional coordinators must allocate funds in their budgets for their coordination,” she added.

Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Mwanaidi Ali Khamis, stated that the new guidelines aim to enhance the economic empowerment of women. 

"These leaders must use the knowledge they gain here to fulfill the vision of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, to economically uplift women," she remarked.

Felister Mdemu, the Deputy Permanent Secretary responsible for Women’s Development in the Ministry, assured that the government would continue to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the guidelines are well understood and adhered to.

Some coordinators and leaders of these platforms expressed gratitude to the government for revising the guidelines and organizing a seminar to ensure grassroots women are effectively reached and empowered economically.