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Women’s Day should not be about applause for the privileged but a rallying cry for real change. Photo: Courtesy
By Adonis Byemelwa
This year, March 8, 2025, marks
International Women's Day in Arusha, a city known for its vibrant tourism
industry, where the celebrations are no exception. Lavish events, adorned with
grandeur, are taking place amidst the stunning landscapes and bustling tourism
scene.
The city, typically a hub of
adventure and exploration, now serves as the backdrop for powerful speeches and
public tributes to women.
President Samia, gracing the
occasion, adds a sense of prestige to the day, with her presence elevating the
significance of the event. Her speech, no doubt filled with promises of
progress and empowerment, echoes the worldwide celebrations of women’s
achievements. However, beyond the razzmatazz and the well-polished rhetoric,
there’s a deeper, more painful truth that cannot be overlooked.
While influential women receive
accolades, millions of others toil in silence, their struggles unnoticed, their
sacrifices unrecognized. The celebration often feels more like a performance
than a genuine call to action, as the harsh realities of ordinary women,
particularly those in rural Tanzania, remain buried under layers of empty
words.
First officially recognized by
the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day was meant to be a day of
reflection—not just on achievements but on the relentless battles women fight
daily. It was never intended to be reduced to hollow praises and fleeting
social media posts that fade as quickly as they appear.
Behind the dazzling lights and
inspiring speeches lay the silent struggles of countless women in Tanzania’s
rural areas, whose voices remain unheard. While social media is flooded with
tributes to mothers and grandmothers, a deeper question emerges: Do these
public displays of affection translate into real care and change, or are they
merely performative gestures?
The essence of International
Women’s Day should not be confined to grand rhetoric and social media
performances but must push for real progress that reaches those most in need.
Gertrude Mongella, former Speaker
of the Pan-African Parliament, emphasized this during a discussion on UTV,
arguing that technology—particularly artificial intelligence—must be leveraged
to benefit rural women.
She urged policymakers and tech
innovators to ensure that AI solutions are not reserved for the privileged few
but are made accessible to women in villages, allowing them to improve their
agricultural output, access markets, and ease the burdens of daily life.
Dr. Eve-Maria Semakafu, Ulingo
chair and long-time activist, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the
commemoration of Women’s Day should be tied to policy-driven change, not just
recognition.
She called for concrete actions
to uplift struggling women, particularly in the informal sector, where they
continue to be underpaid and overworked. Without this, she argued, Women’s Day
risks becoming an annual ritual that offers inspiration without transformation.
Deus Kibamba, a governance
analyst from the Centre for Foreign Relations, weighed in on the issue of
women's representation in decision-making spaces.
He pointed out that while special
parliamentary seats for women were introduced as a way to increase female
participation in governance, they have not always translated into meaningful
empowerment.
He called for a shift from token
representation to actual influence, where women—especially those from
disadvantaged backgrounds—are included in key economic and political decisions.
These discussions highlight a
crucial reality: true gender equality cannot be achieved through symbolic gestures
alone. It requires deliberate efforts to bridge the technological divide,
economic disparities, and systemic barriers that keep rural women trapped in
cycles of hardship.
Until the women carrying water on their heads,
tending to their farms with archaic tools, and struggling to afford basic needs
see tangible change, the promises of International Women’s Day will remain
unfulfilled.
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Former first ladies of Tanzania: A glimpse into history. Photo: Courtesy.
The reality is starkly different
from the celebratory posts, particularly for rural women in Shinyanga, Bariadi,
Kagera, and Arusha, who wake before dawn and toil relentlessly into the night,
only to remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and hardship.
Many of these women, such as Mama
Salome from Bugarama, find themselves exhausted by the unending demands of
farming, child-rearing, and the search for water, which remains a daily
torment.
While powerful women take center
stage at international conferences like Beijing’s, their rural counterparts are
reduced to footnotes in the conversation about gender equality.
The Beijing Declaration, while
groundbreaking, has largely uplifted the voices of elite women—those with
access to education, power, and influence—while failing to address the cries of
hapless small-scale farmers who fight for survival in Tanzania’s harsh economic
landscape.
Mama Asha from Nyashimo, Bariadi,
questions this gap: "They talk about women’s empowerment, but who is
empowering us here? My children sleep hungry, and my hands are swollen from
digging. Where is our recognition?"
These women are the backbone of
food production, yet their suffering is often dismissed. A single acre of
farmland, cultivated by hand with primitive hoes, can take a month to
prepare—while a tractor could do the job in under two hours.
Their hands, calloused from years
of toil, tell stories of relentless struggle. Their existence is precarious,
dependent entirely on rainfall. When the rains fail, hunger follows, along with
an inability to afford necessities or school supplies for their children. Yet,
these pressing concerns rarely make headlines.
International Women’s Day has
been increasingly politicized in Tanzania, with political leaders using it as a
stage to praise the President’s efforts in advancing women’s rights. But amid
these grand proclamations, the harsh reality of many Tanzanian women remains
unchanged.
Inflation has skyrocketed, pushing basic commodities like sugar beyond the reach of small-scale farmers. The economic turmoil deepens their struggles, yet political leaders appear detached, offering empty rhetoric instead of tangible solutions.
Even as these celebrations
unfold, social media has erupted with outrage against Dar es Salaam’s Regional
Commissioner, Albert Chalamila, after his derogatory remarks about a woman
sparked widespread calls for his dismissal.
Worse still, Chalamila was once
confronted by a pregnant woman who called him in desperation because the
dispensary she had visited lacked gloves for delivery. Rather than seeking
redress, Chalamila curtly told her, "Tell your husband to buy the items.
Was your husband not prepared for your labor?" His response was a blatant
reminder of the government’s failure to provide basic medical necessities—items
that should never be out of stock in any health facility.
In stark contrast, former RC Paul
Makonda marked the day differently—by selling over 20 bottles of porridge in a
bustling Arusha market to support struggling women. While his act was largely
symbolic, it highlighted the contrast between performative politics and genuine
efforts to uplift women in hardship.
"At least he stood with
us," remarked Mama Agnes, a porridge vendor at the Arusha market.
"Most politicians just talk. He tried to understand our struggles."
In rural Tanzania, the struggle
for water is an unending burden. In villages like Nyashimo, Bugarama, and
Manyoni, clean water remains a distant dream. Mama Neema, balancing a heavy
bucket on her head, sighs, “I have done this since I was a girl. My daughters
are doing the same. Will anything change?”
Women trek for kilometers,
collapsing from exhaustion, while politicians repeat empty promises to “lift
the water buckets off mothers’ heads.” The hypocrisy is glaring—clean water is
not a privilege, yet it remains out of reach for many.
While women elsewhere receive
flowers on International Women’s Day, in Tanzania, the mere availability of
water is a celebration. Rev. Dar Katabaro of Karagwe recalled the pure joy his
school felt when they finally got tap water, a moment as profound as winning a
national prize. That speaks volumes about global inequality.
Women’s Day should not be about
applause for the privileged but a rallying cry for real change. The government
must prioritize access to water, modern farming tools, and economic relief.
It’s time for leaders to step beyond polished speeches and into action. Until
then, what exactly are we celebrating?