Government pledges more support to women

The government has promised to support and campaign for the welfare of women’s societies in the country. Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Ummy Mwalimu said this yesterday, when briefing reporters on preparations for today’s International Women’s Day.

The minister said the majority of women in the country, especially those living in rural areas, were still subjected to different forms of gender-based violence and did not get access to many statutory rights, including health services.

“Women are crucial to any social and economic development of a nation. We will continue supporting women from across the country to promote and protect their rights,” she said.

However, she said the government had to some extent made an important stride in assisting women in the country, especially supporting them to access capital for the establishment of various income generating activities.

Furthermore, the minister said more women had received loans in the past one year. She explained that last year, 86,250 women received loans from various financial institutions in the country, compared to 79,983 women in 2015.

According to her, Tanzania stands at 53rd position in promoting women’s rights, gender balance and equity among 143 countries. “Our focus is to become an industrialised country, but we will likely face an uphill task if women are left out,” she said.

She said the government focused on maintaining a friendly environment to assure more women got access to loans to initiate their own businesses and small-scale factories.

“We are no longer living in the era, where women bank on their husbands to cater for their daily living. It’s now for women to stand on their own feet,” she insisted, stating that women counted for 51 per cent of the country’s population.

She urged women in the central zone corridor to effectively use diverse economic opportunities linked to the government’s relocation of its major seat from Dar es Salaam to the designated capital city of Dodoma.

She also directed all district executive directors in the country to make sure women in their areas enjoy free services, when going to clinic and during delivery.

“I urge all women from across the country to observe the today’s Women’s Day by thinking deliberately on how to liberate themselves from economically, socially and culturally as the government is always there to give them full support,” she expressed.