Institutions urged to tackle barriers to women’s leadership longevity

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Dr Riziki Pembe Juma has urged public and private institutions to reform recruitment, promotion and workplace practices that prevent women from retaining leadership positions and advancing their careers.

She called for transparent appointments and performance reviews, equal access to opportunities, protection against workplace discrimination and harassment, and structured mentoring for senior roles.

Speaking at UONGOZI Institute’s sixth Women’s Leadership Forum in Dar es Salaam yesterday, she said appointing more women was insufficient without measures to sustain their careers and progress over time.

“Women must not only reach leadership positions, but also remain, grow and contribute fully in leadership,” she said, reading a speech on behalf of Zanzibar Minister for Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr Saada Salum Mkuya.

She urged institutions to set women’s leadership plans with clear responsibilities, deadlines and measurable targets, monitoring women’s representation, promotion opportunities, tenure and reasons for leaving leadership positions.

Themed “Women’s leadership longevity”, the forum brought together political and business leaders, academics and development partners to discuss women’s advancement and retention.

Dr Pembe Juma cited Zanzibar’s 2025/26 budget speech, which showed women held six ministerial positions, or 33 per cent; 10 principal secretary positions, or 38 per cent; and 44 director and commissioner positions, or 24 per cent. She said systems should give women important assignments, experience and preparation for promotion, beyond training alone.

Mentoring and professional networks were also vital, with experienced women and men sharing knowledge and helping emerging leaders navigate workplace challenges.

She called for work-life balance and shared childcare, saying unequal family expectations should not hinder women’s advancement. She linked the agenda to Tanzania’s and Zanzibar’s Development Vision 2050 targets for women’s leadership.

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Under Zanzibar’s vision, women’s representation in relevant public-sector decision-making positions is expected to reach 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2040, maintaining that level through 2050.

She said the targets required practical policies, appointments, promotion systems and measurable institutional commitments.

She urged UONGOZI Institute to complete its study on women’s leadership longevity in Tanzania, incorporate participants’ views and recommend institutional changes.

UONGOZI Institute’s Women’s Leadership Programme provides training, coaching and mentoring for women in middle and senior management across Africa.

Delivered with Yale School of Management, it is supported by the governments of Tanzania and Finland and the European Union. The forum brought together 100 women selected for its ninth and tenth cohorts.

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