Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Eng. MaryPrisca Mahundi, has urged women’s groups and small-scale traders to use loans productively to grow their businesses and improve the welfare of their families, stressing that economic empowerment begins at the household level.
Speaking in Ihumwa Ward, Dodoma, Mahundi said the government has intensified efforts to broaden women’s participation in economic activities through the establishment of Women’s Economic Empowerment Platforms across all administrative levels.
Between 2020 and 2025, she said, 15,147 platforms have been formed nationwide, enabling women to gain essential knowledge in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and investment.
Mahundi explained that the Ministry is working closely with community development officers, ICT officers and business officers to identify and register small-scale traders so they can access affordable loans and formal support.
Since the exercise began in February 2024, a total of 115,035 traders have been registered—70,894 women and 44,141 men. Out of these, 44,336 traders have already paid for their identification cards, paving the way for them to access credit.
She added that through this system, NMB Bank has issued loans worth TZS 9.8 billion to registered small-scale traders, a development she described as a significant step toward strengthening local economies and supporting individuals who rely on small enterprises to sustain their livelihoods.
The Deputy Minister also commended development partners for supporting government initiatives aimed at improving individual and family economies while promoting positive parenting and child care.
She reminded parents that a family remains the cornerstone of any society and called on communities to value the institution as a foundation for children’s wellbeing.
“I came here to share the economic opportunities available through your groups and to emphasise the importance of positive parenting. A family forms the basis of society, and we must uphold this vital institution,” she said.
Participants welcomed the government’s efforts and appealed to leaders, organisations and lending institutions to expand outreach programmes in their wards.
They said increased awareness on how to access loans would enable them to grow their businesses and strengthen the economic stability of their households.