Monday, April 21, 2014

Boserup, (1970), identified African Countries where women work to produce food, crops for domestic substance and men work in production of cash crops for market sale. By giving example, depict the status of women in Tanzania

Introduction
Traditionally the position of women in Tanzania has been low compared to men. Women were not expected to influence the decision-making processes from domestic level to the national level. In the family attitudes, which consider men as heads of households, exists. These attitudes are rigidly based on patriarchal structures, which limit women voices from influencing allocation of domestic resources. At national level, the existing attitudes influence the election and appointment of women to high profile positions and hence limit women’s voices from impacting decision making and the planning process, (URT 2003).

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
Status is simply defined as a position occupied by a person, family or kinship in social system relative to others this determine right, duties other behaviors including nature and  extent of the relationship with person of other status, (Shankarrao, 2006).

Status is the place in a particular system, which a certain individual occupies at a particular time, ( Ralph Linton, 1945).

Type of status
Ascribed status; these are those over which the individual has absolutely choice, they are derived from membership in involuntary groups such as sex group, age group, racial group this is derived at the beginning stages of socialization itself the new born individual derives such status.

Achieved status; the statuses about which a person has some choices, however much or little achieved status

Ester Boserup Danish economist born on May 18, 1910 and die September 24, 1999, in Copenhagen. She studied economic and agricultural development, worked at the United Nations as well as other international organizations, and she wrote several books. Her most notable book is The Conditions of Agricultural Growth, The Economics of Agrarian Change under Population Pressure.

Ester Boserup identified African Countries where women work to produce food, crops for domestic substance and men work in production of cash crops for market sale, the following are the status of women in Tanzania.

The constitution recognizes women‘s capacity and the right to participate in politics, social and economic life of the country. The right to vote and the right to stand for election are provided equally for men and women. This was practiced successfully in the 2000 general elections. This is a clear indication that there is a conducive environment for women to participate freely and equally with men in politics and decision making in Tanzania.

Access to employment, in formal sector in Tanzania is determines women’s economic empowerment as well. Currently, formal sector employment for women in Tanzania is satisfiable, as it accounts for total employment. The Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children (2005) revealed that the proportion of women in the formal employment rose from 15% in 2009 to 24.7% in 2012, (URT 2013).

 Equal access to land ownership, the land and Village Act of 1999  provides  equal access to landownership However, in matters of family land, particularly related to matters of inheritance, customary law has been allowed to function, (URT, 1999).   Previously this act seemed to be neglected but currently the act is getting  momentum by the support of re amended land Act no. 2 of 2004 which explaining and make more emphasis in the right of women to own land, hence rise the status of women of being socially recognized.

Participation in decision making, previously in Tanzania women's participation in decision making at both the household and community level was minimal as shown by a study in Iringa and Kagera regions (Nkhoma-Wamunza et al 1989). In the seven villages surveyed men dominated in decision making. They were the ones who decided on how much land should be allocated to the growing of different crops, how much money should be spent on the purchase of tools of production and farm inputs, and how much labour should be invested in the different crops grown. 

Decisions on the application of fertilizer, insecticides; sale of farm produce acquisition of loans, and issues related to money were made by men. But to some extent the situation has been changed particularly in urban areas where by women have access to stay with their husbands and deciding what to do.

Women Participation in Political Processes, the first cabinet of Tanganyika after independence did not have a female holding a full ministerial position. Only two women were appointed as Deputy Ministers that is Bibi Titi Deputy Minister of Health while Lucy Lameck was first appointed as a Parliamentary Secretary of Cooperatives and Community Development from 1962 -1965 (URT, 2005). But at present women have a good position in political participation where by many of them are district commissioners, members of the parliament, and International representatives in different sectors. This reveals the rise of women status.

Educational enrolment, in Tanzania, free primary education has led to more girls being educated, at least at the primary level.  With fees placed on schools, it is much more likely that a family will invest in boys.  While only about 1 percent of people in Tanzania go on to higher education, and most of them come from the wealthiest sliver of the population, about 30 percent of these students are now women.  Government loan programs have helped less advantaged students get to universities, but funds are generally fairly scarce.

Social Justice, the Government of Tanzania recognizes that women’s advancement and achievement of gender equality are a matter of human rights and a condition to social justice. The Government of Tanzania reaffirms its commitment to enhancement of women’s rights for national and world progress. 

The Government has ractified the convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Furthermore, the Government of Tanzania reaffirms its commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action that upholds the Convention for total elimination of all kinds of discrimination against women and all other international human rights instruments calling for gender equality. Promotion of women participation in politics and decision making is among the four critical areas of concern for Tanzania.

Conclusion
Currently the statuses of women in Tanzania have been improved after the Beijing conference, that there have been significant achievements in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. In the first four critical areas that the government identified a number of policies, laws and programmes were put in place to create an environment that would ensure that women’s position moves from that of marginalization to that of partnership, dignity and equality (URT, 2005).



References
Nkhoma Wamunza A, Muchen, K, Darah C. and Saur G. (1989), “Africa Index to continental
          Literature  Lagos Scientific Publishers”,   Nigeria
Ralph Linton 1945, “the cultural background of personality”, 5th Edition New York USA
Shankarrao C.N. (2006), Sociology “Principles of Sociology with introduction to social
thoughts 6th Edition Schad and Co. Ltd
URT (1999), The village Act 1999, Government Publishers Ltd.
URT (2003) Country Report On Implementation Of The Beijing Platform of Action

URT (2OO5), Women participation in positions of power and influence in Tanzania,
           Government Printers Dar Es Salaam.
URT, (2005), Country Report on the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and The
          Outcome document of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly- Beijing,
           Government Printers, Dar Es Salaam.






Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University

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