Stakeholders share how to break down gender barriers at The Citizen Rising Woman Event

Dar es Salaam. The importance of gender inclusivity and empowerment took centre stage at The Citizen Rising Woman event as prominent leaders and advocates shared insights and initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality in various sectors.

Celebrated to its fourth year with the theme 'Count Her In,' the Gala dinner and awards ceremony was graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

During her speech, the Commissioner General of Tanzania's Immigration, Dr Anna Makakala, emphasized the importance of adaptability and perseverance in achieving success.

She encouraged women to prioritize continuous learning and education.

“Now even in military institutions, it’s not all muscles. We use the brain, so technology and soft skills are very important,” she advised.

She also emphasized that gender should also not be a barrier to pursuing careers, particularly in traditionally male-dominated sectors like security.

“Women can do it too…considering the Commander in Chief (President Samia Suluhu Hassan) being a woman. We are capable,” said Dr Makakala.

Managing Director of Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) Dr Obinna Anyalebechi sheds light on SBL's initiatives to empower women.

Dr Anyalebechi emphasized the importance of understanding diversity statistics and setting ambitious targets to promote gender inclusivity in the workplace.

He emphasized SBL's commitment to gender diversity by ensuring that 50 percent of candidates shortlisted for every role are women.

“Because if you don't do that, you can limit the number of women you get in your organization," he said.

He also highlighted SBL's supportive policies for women, such as a six-month maternity leave and flexible working arrangements, including remote work options.

As he discussed strategies to address challenges in recruiting women, particularly certain roles, the SBL boss underscored the need to find innovative solutions to promoting gender equality across all levels of the organization.

To the aspiring leaders, Dr Anyalebechi said, “Dream big. Ambitions and dreams have no gender. Male and female you can dream big,”

Meanwhile, Founding Partner of Empower, Miranda Naiman, said mentorship programmes for startups or young women aspiring to be leaders foster growth.

She said the programmes instill confidence in both girls and boys, proving successful when properly guided. “Mentorship can take various forms, formal or informal, serving as a valuable tool for learning from others' mistakes and accessing hidden opportunities,” she said.

According to her, everyone needs to have a mentor, to offer guidance and propel them to greater heights.

Noting that it's imperative to believe in oneself, daring to dream big, and actively pursuing those dreams are key.

Earlier when opening the event, Mwananchi Communications Ltd, Managing Director Bakari Machumu extended an invitation to President Samia Suluhu Hassan to join the Rising Woman online platform.

He hailed President Hassan for agreeing to participate in celebrating International Women’s Day.

“The focus revolved around discussions on gender equality in leadership, a theme initiated in 2021 under the banner of The Citizen Rising Woman. This initiative stemmed from the company's commitment to empower both the nation and the community through inclusive content and actions,” he said.

He said to date, the company has chronicled 217 stories of different women, illustrating their roles in propelling societal progress forward. Additionally, recognition was extended to 35 companies for their efforts in promoting women to leadership positions.

For her part, the executive director of the local chapter of the UN Global Compact, Global Compact Network Tanzania, Ms Marsha Macatta-Yambi, said examining global boardroom statistics reveals a mere 16 percent representation of women, plunging even lower to 5 percent in finance.

“Our focus on gender equality last year guided us to achieve data providing crucial feedback on our progress. Shockingly, only 15 percent of all SDGs are currently on track globally,” she said.

Given this, she said to steer companies towards their goals more effectively, they advocate for simpler and quicker strategies that include priorities namely gender equality, fair wages, and sustainable water resources.

“By 2050, we may find ourselves facing an abundance of oil but a scarcity of water. Urgent action on climate and investment is also imperative,” she said.

She stressed that leadership journeys should inclusively involve both boys and girls.