Challenges Facing Women’s Political Participation And Representation In Tanzania

ABSTRACT 

This study sought to investigate the challenges facing women’s political participation and representation in Tanzania. The study had three specific objectives: (i) to document the current efforts to empower women politically in Tanzania, (ii) to analyse the barriers to women’s political participation and representation in Tanzania and (iii) to suggest remedial measures to strengthen women’s political participation and representation in Tanzania. Methodologically, the study employed a mixed research design. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with respondents to collect qualitative data while a questionnaire was administered to gather quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis whereas quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.  The findings indicate that women political participation and representation in Mufindi District Council is curtailed by a myriad of barriers, including lack of interest among women to participate in politics, corruption problem (sextortion), biological challenges, gender discrimination, bad political attitudes, low selfconfidence, political violence, lower level of education, outdated traditional beliefs as well as impeding religious beliefs. The study concludes that womens’ political participation and representation in Tanzania in general as at Mufindi District Council in particular is still relatively low despite ongoing empowerment and affirmative action programmes aimed at empowering women to be active participants in politics. This situation is a result of institutional barriers, biological factors and impeding traditional and religious beliefs that disenfranchise women to be active participants in politics in this geographical locale.  To address these challenges the study recommends deliberate efforts by local authority in Mufindi District Council to  strengthen gender equality in politics, ensuring corruption free elections, , provision of public media for women, promoting women networks, limiting campaign spending, promoting ownership of economic resources among women, promoting access to education among women and fighting against cultural and traditional beliefs hindering women’s political participation and representation of women