Encouraging women to succeed

It’s a privilege being a woman. Women are celebrated globally. The month of March is designated for women. It is a time when our efforts are brought to the fore and we are publicly and boldly applauded.

Last weekend, different women groups organised functions dedicated to celebrating women’s success. The resonance of these events was overwhelming. In Dar es Salaam, events such as She means Business organised by DSTV Tanzania and Tanzanite Women Forum, all celebrated the success of women in the country. I attended the latter, which was held at Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Dar es Salaam.

As I approached the hotel’s vicinity, I couldn’t help but hear voices of women singing as music in the background accompanied their melodic sounds. It was a sunny Saturday morning, just a day after the International Women’s Day commemoration. But to women, and everyone else, the celebrations had only just began.

As I entered the venue to take part in the celebration, a sense of bravado masked in humility permeated the room. Women who clearly had a story or two to tell on how they achieved their success filled the room.

I was amidst a group of warriors, one that was proud of their hard work and success.

The event, dubbed Tanzanite Women Forum, was organised by Dar es Salaam Women Economic Empowerment Forum in collaboration with Ujuzi Initiative under designer Khadija Mwanamboka.

The forum was orgnised with the aim of raising funds to open a training centre where women will be able to learn different skills that will help in self-employment and adding value to what they do on a daily basis.

The women in attendance were dressed in designer wear with high heels and makeup to boot – they looked fierce and ambitious. This showed that despite their hard work in businesses, employment or other enterprising ventures, these women did not forsake their desire to still look feminine and sophisticated even as they toiled on a daily basis.

One thing that stood out was the diverse personalities embraced by these women. From doctors, economists, fashion designers, makeup artists, models, business women, the diversity was evident.

The event included several activities such as business empowerment talks, a fashion show, auction, and other exhibitions. Speaking to Woman, Khadija Mwanamboka, one of the event’s coordinators, said that the initiative aims at improving Tanzania’s education system by raising funds and imparting different life skills to women and the youth.

“Women and the youth are taught artistic skills to make them more creative and competitive in the modern market that demands highly of its entrants. Such skills will also help them in self-emploment,” says Mwanamboka.

Mwanahamisi Singano, a freelance Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor, was in attendance at the event. In show of support for the course, she bought a set of Tanzanite earrings and a necklace worth Sh2.1 million. The gender equality advocate said that the event was meant to bring women together to celebrate their success and also address challenges that women are facing.

Through the auction, Sh6,000,000 in pledges was raised.

Menstrual hygiene awareness

Frola Njelekela, a menstrual hygiene champion and founder of Anuflo Indistries Tanzania Limited, was among the sponsors of the event through her Hedhi Menstrual Cup product - a product that helps women manage their menstrual flow better. Founded in 2015, the company has evolved to manufacturing and supplying hygiene, sanitation and skin care products – all essential to women.

Njelekela was one of the speakers. She displayed some of her products, which included Hedhi Cup, Hedhi wipes, sanitary pads as well as Hedhi App – a Swahili mobile app providing menstrual hygiene information to young girls and women.

Access to sanitary pads is still a challenge in Tanzania. Women and girls go through torrid experiences whent ‘that time of the month’ arrives. It is through such predicaments that Njelekela came up with the idea of developing reusable and environmentally-friendly menstrual cups. The menstrual cups are 100 per cent silicone.

Sold at Sh30,000 and coming in different sizes (large, medium, small), the Hedhi cups can be used for up to five years during menstruation.

Financial freedom

A social entrepreneur, who runs an Instagram page known as @smartmoneydecisions which provides money management and investment advice, stressed on the importance of women managing their finances as a way of creating financial freedom in their lives.

According to the digital influencer, financial freedom means the ability to have finances that can cater to one’s needs without any external help.

She says, for women to manage their own finances, it is very important that they have a separate source of income different from that that they receive from their employer.

“It is important to save a certain percentage of your salary. Money is never enough. So if one relies solely on a salary being paid by the employer, they will run into problems sooner or later. One has to set aside at least ten per cent of her salary in savings. This will help in starting a business or any other worthwhile course,” she says.

She also talked about the importance of starting a business as an extra source of income.

However, she says, before one starts a business, she should ensure that the idea created will solve a certain problem in the society.

“It will be very hard to sustain a business that doesn’t aim at solving any problem in society,” she says.

Speaking of financial freedom, the digital financial advisor mentioned three areas; paper assets, dividends and real estates as the major ways to stimulate financial freedom.

She went further and talked about retirement and the right age for retirement. “Age does not determine when to retire, but financial status gives a clear picture on when someone can retire,” she notes.

There was a sense of optimism that could be felt in the room during the event. Tanzanian Super model Miriam Odemba, all the way from France was in attendance. She kept the event going as she interacted with everyone. She also took part in the fashion. At the event, she wore more than four outfits in intervals. Odemba auctioned different items; from a set of earrings and chain pendent from Ley Jewellers to Masai tree necklace.

Odemba was all smiles and vibrant and kept the event alive as she moved up and down the venue.

Fashion show designer line up at the event included Malika designer, Katty collection, Mgese Cici designs, Asia Khamsin, Abby Sollo (Tanzanian Women Song), Mustafa Hassanali and Khadija Mwanamboka.

The National Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum was launched in 2016 by the Vice President Samia Suluhu with the slogan ‘Don’t give me fish, give me nets and knowledge to fish’.

At the inaugural ceremony the Vice President was quoted saying; “women’s economic empowerment requires bold and sustained action to advance women’s opportunities and rights and to ensure that women can participate and be heard.”

The success that women have achieved in different fields is evident to such devoted participation in economic, political, and social activities.