The Tanga city council committee continues to have a patriarchal system of almost 90% men. This is regardless of women having the power to influence and mobilise in political leadership positions but their efforts are not recognised.

This project Empowerment, Influence and Mobilisation of Women in Political Leadership is strengthening the capacity for women positivity, participating in political leadership positions in Tanga city council for the local government elections happening in 2020.

The project intends to change the negative mindsets of women participation in a political leadership position at the level of local government leaders.

The Tanga Paralegal Aid Scheme for Women and Children (TPWC) believes in women’s ability to participate and the need for more diverse voices to participate in the political process that motivated them to mobilise and empower women in Tanga City. During their project, they managed to engage 959 rightsholders, 413 of which were women, 241 men, and 17 were people with disabilities.

TPWC empowered the rights holders through capacity strengthening sessions in political leadership training, discussion and debates that made rightsholders aware of the characteristics and principles of good governance.  The engagement helped the rightsholders to become confident and self-aware. As a result, seven women who were engaged through the TPWC activities decided to contest for political positions at the party level during the 2020 general elections. Although seven women were not successful in securing political appointments at the national level, the experience showed them and other women in the community that women can participate in the political process and lead as men do in the coastal region.

The capacity strengthening also encouraged and supported 16 women to join the diverse multi-party system as permanent members; this was irrespective of the women’s traditional and religious ideologies, which are a strong influencing factor in the Tanzanian coastal region. Other women in the following wards Chumbageni, Mwanzange, Maweni, Mzingani, Magaoni, and Msambwen, were the most inspired to join various existing women’s groups and pursue issues highlighted by TPWC about the political arena.

TPWC are proud of their work during the 12-months of their project and are now looking forward to mobilising and influencing more women to participate in the political process because women can do it!