Shortage of female engineers hurts Tanzania

Arusha. The Engineers Registration Board (ERB) has disclosed that Tanzania faces a shortage of women engineers, something which somehow delays the country’s development.

The acting ERB registrar, Eng Patrick Barozi made the remark on Wednesday, March 7, during a capacity building workshop, which involved female engineers from Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Manyara and Arusha.

“Shortage of female engineers is mainly caused by women’s lack of interest in science subjects. The female engineers constitute 10 per cent only in the country,” he said.

According to him, Tanzania recorded a 60 per cent in academic growth as compared to other members of the East African Community (EAC), noting that despite the growth, the number of women engineers was down.

He said the ERB was expected to start a special campaign to persuade students to pursue science subjects in order to become engineers in future and enable the country to realise its  industrialisation strategy.

In another development, Eng Barozi warned the engineers who practice the profession without registration, saying it is in contravention of the law and that stern measures will be taken against them.

“For instance, the Northern Zone has 491 engineers, but only 219 are registered,” he noted.